Chelsea to Demand Compensation from Manchester City Over Enzo Maresca

Chelsea's management is reportedly set to demand compensation from Manchester City should the Citizens indeed appoint Enzo Maresca as their new manager. Recent reports indicate the Italian has already agreed to a three-year deal with the Etihad club. However, Stamford Bridge believes this move would confirm that City had been negotiating with Maresca while he was still Chelsea's manager. Consequently, the London club will seek compensation, and if the two clubs fail to agree on a sum, Chelsea is prepared to take legal action, according to the Daily Mail.

Maresca was dismissed by the Blues on New Year's Day 2026, after he himself confirmed to the board that he had held talks with City representatives in October and December. This revelation led Chelsea to the decision to part ways with the Italian, despite not initially wanting to make a managerial change. This was corroborated a month ago by one of Chelsea's owners, Behdad Eghbali:

“This change was not a club decision. It happened for reasons I am not at liberty to discuss right now. I believe they will become clear in due course. But no, this was not a change we wanted to make. It had a negative impact on our season,” Eghbali stated during a press conference in Los Angeles.