This winter, the breakdown in relations between Enzo Maresca and Chelsea’s sporting directors and ownership felt eerily similar to the circumstances surrounding Conte’s departure.
Ultimately, Maresca’s position became untenable and he did not make it to the end of the season, with Rosenior replacing him.
In his first campaign, Maresca reduced the gap to the league leaders to 16 points, although Liverpool’s total of 84 was the lowest title‑winning tally since 2016.
However, instability has been Chelsea’s enduring problem when compared with standard‑setting clubs such as Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal, who have dominated the Premier League in recent years.
All three have enjoyed continuity in the dugout and boardroom, a foundation that has helped to underpin sustained success.
Chelsea had hoped to build for the long term around Tuchel, who had close working relationships with director Marina Granovskaia and technical adviser Petr Cech, but UK government sanctions led to the end of the Abramovich‑era leadership.
When Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their BlueCo takeover in 2022, they emphasised their ambition to win the Premier League. But relations soon soured with Tuchel, who appeared increasingly strained under the new ownership.
Graham Potter was then appointed, with the intention of replicating the team‑building models of Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp and Arsenal under Mikel Arteta, while drawing inspiration from Brighton’s recruitment strategy.
Yet Chelsea recruited too many players during the first season under new ownership, which created a chaotic dressing room environment that Potter could not manage. The club subsequently opted for a higher‑profile manager, appointing Mauricio Pochettino in 2024, but he did not align with their vision and was followed by the younger Maresca.
There remains widespread appreciation for Maresca’s work despite his acrimonious departure over a difference in vision with the ownership.
His successor, Rosenior, was promoted from within the BlueCo structure – having been head coach at partner club Strasbourg – in an effort to minimise mid‑season disruption, work within a structure that is built to focus on developing young players, and maintain a similar style of play to his predecessor.
Conte can look at Chelsea from a distance now, fascinated by how the approach has changed.
He said: “Every coach wants to sign young players, but if young players are over £100m like [Moises] Caicedo and [Enzo] Fernandez, it’s not for all clubs, especially in Italy. They are doing very well and are doing something important for the future.”
The club he led to glory nine seasons ago sit fifth in the Premier League and are 13 points behind leaders Arsenal with 15 matches remaining.
Manchester City – still led by Guardiola – are in the hunt.
Chelsea have not been considered part of this season’s title race since December.
