Jamie Carragher has warned Enzo Maresca that his recent cryptic comments have created a serious problem and suggested the head coach may not be at Chelsea next season.
Maresca described the two days leading up to Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Everton as “the worst 48 hours” since he arrived last summer, a comment that followed Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League defeat at Atalanta and a sequence of just one win in four matches. He declined to elaborate ahead of the Carabao Cup quarter-final with Cardiff, saying only that he had “nothing to add” and was concentrating on the match.
Speaking on Monday Night Football, Carragher said the remarks appeared directed at those at the club rather than supporters, and warned public disagreements with ownership or sporting directors rarely end well for managers. “I am a big fan of Maresca but it looks like there’s a bit of a power play starting, and that never bodes well, especially for a manager,” Carragher said. He added: “I don’t think Maresca’s manager at Chelsea next season. When you come out and speak about your ownership like that and you speak in public, that’s a big problem.”
Carragher outlined a familiar trajectory in modern football: a coach delivers results — Champions League qualification, European silverware, even Club World Cup success — then seeks greater authority and becomes frustrated when the club does not satisfy transfer demands. He pointed to Chelsea’s difficulty replacing a centre-back after Levi Colwill’s injury as an example. Carragher criticised airing grievances publicly and compared the situation to other recent high-profile disputes, warning that those rows usually have a single winner, and it is not the manager.
Sky Sports News chief Kaveh Solhekol added that “all is not well behind the scenes at Chelsea,” noting Maresca repeatedly declined chances to deny problems with those above him. Maresca reportedly confirmed he was not referring to fans when he said “many people did not support” him after Atalanta, which, by elimination, pointed to people inside the club — likely co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, who run post-match debriefs.
Solhekol said by speaking publicly Maresca is “playing a dangerous game,” and history suggests such public power struggles typically end unfavourably for the coach. Despite that, Carragher defended Maresca’s coaching ability, saying he is tactically capable of matching top managers, but that the off-field fallout could cost him his job.