Marc Cucurella has criticized Chelsea’s decision to sack Enzo Maresca as their manager in January this year. The Blues decided to part ways with Maresca in the New Year as they felt a change was needed to get the best out of the squad.
Enzo Maresca’s departure came after reports of a breakdown in relation to the club’s hierarchy in recent weeks. The Italian recently described 48 hours as his “worst” at Chelsea FC, although he chose not to reveal any further details behind that remark.
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Nevertheless, Maresco’s tenure was marked by remarkable achievements. In his debut season at Stamford Bridge, he led Chelsea to victory in the UEFA European Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup, securing the club’s major trophies during the transition period.
In an explosive interview with The Athletic, the Spanish defender said it would be best to wait until the end of the summer to call for a change of manager. Cucurella believes this would give the new man enough time to bond with the team.
“These are decisions taken by the club. If you asked me, I would not have made this decision. If you want to make such a change, it is best to wait until the end of the season,” he said.
“You would give everyone, the players and the new manager, time to prepare, to have a full pre-season.”
Maresca was replaced by Liam Rosenoir, who oversaw a poor season for Chelsea as they slipped up in the battle for Champions League places and were knocked out of the competition by PSG.
‘CUCURELLA UNHAPPY WITH CHELSEA POLITICS’
Chelsea have adopted a youth policy when it comes to transfers and Cucurella feels this has affected the club’s ability to compete for major honours.
He pointed to the PSG game where he felt Chelsea lacked the experience needed to get over the finish line.
“You fight and train every day to realize at the very end that when the games matter, we’re still a little far from the top level,” Cucurella told The Athletic in an interview published Tuesday.
“I understand that it is part of the club’s policy and that they want to go in that direction – to sign young players and look to the future.
“But for all of us who are still here and want to win the big things, you feel down moments like that.
“Signing only young players could make it difficult to achieve these goals. Against PSG, we lacked players who have gone through similar situations,” he added.
Chelsea are currently sixth in the Premier League points table and have made it to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
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Published on:
31 March 2026 17:49 IST
