Chelsea’s Year of the Horse: Maresca Resigns — In Football, Money Matters More Than Brains

 

Maresca resigned on New Year’s Day, right after the previous article was published—truly a case of speaking too soon in the Year of the Horse. Later, some inside stories emerged: interference from the club’s top management, restrictions from the medical team, and invitations from other clubs. Contacting other clubs was a contractual requirement; the idea of him coaching Manchester City was nonsense. As long as City’s head coach stays, Maresca has no chance, and even if the position opens, he would not be the first choice. The main issue is his ability—his mentor-disciple relationship is not the deciding factor.

Chelsea’s tradition of sacking managers is well known. With fierce competition, several clubs have already changed coaches this season, and some saw immediate improvement. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Slot and Manchester United’s Amorim have also faced heavy criticism, at times close to being dismissed, only recently easing the pressure. Maresca, however, resigned voluntarily. After switching to agent Mendes, he left immediately—clearly premeditated, and he had no worries about finding a new club. Conflicts with the board, especially over player selection and recruitment, did exist, but such disputes are common in big clubs. Ultimately, results decide a coach’s fate. In November, when results were good, he boasted about winning the title; last year, after winning two trophies, he pledged loyalty to the club. But in December, results collapsed. The main reason was his own level, and giving up under pressure is not the mark of a top coach.

Chelsea’s Europa Conference League win was essentially a step down in competition, and their Club World Cup success was largely due to favorable draws. The real credit goes to the players, especially Palmer’s brilliance. Maresca’s contribution was minimal, much of it down to luck. In the Premier League, title contenders must collect points mainly against mid- and lower-table teams; against strong opponents, avoiding defeat is enough—even dropping some points is acceptable. Thus, weaker teams should be attacked aggressively, while stronger teams can be approached conservatively. In reality, Maresca’s tactics were the opposite: going all out against strong teams, half-abandoning matches against weaker ones. This led to excessive fatigue in big games—even when winning, the squad suffered too much damage. After hitting peak form, players declined, and points were lost repeatedly. Beating Barcelona and drawing Arsenal with ten men were highlights, but they were followed by a sharp downturn. In December, the team dropped many points and failed to hold leads. Maresca’s in-game management was heavily criticized, with fans also turning against him. His tactical adjustments were riddled with errors, and his rigid rotation policy was widely condemned. It makes far more sense to start with the main squad to secure an advantage before rotating, rather than chasing from behind with late substitutions.

Against Arsenal, Caicedo’s red card suspension for three matches was a huge blow. Without him, Chelsea’s defense was full of holes, their attacking transitions broke down, and the team became completely disjointed. The same happened against Manchester City: passive deep defending was understandable, but counterattacks were nonexistent. Palmer struggled to organize, pressing failed entirely. While Palmer’s poor form was a factor, the bigger issue was Caicedo’s absence. Without his sweeping presence, City controlled the midfield completely, and Chelsea couldn’t hold the ball. Add to that Cucurella and Sánchez’s lack of effort, and the eventual equalizer was pure luck, even influenced by off-field factors.

In the Year of the Horse, those connected to “horse” are affected—Maresca’s departure was also a matter of fate. His successor is expected to be an obscure coach with French league connections, but clearly just a transitional figure. Unless he achieves results—qualifying for the Champions League and winning a cup—he will also leave at season’s end. The Premier League rule is simple: to succeed, you need a proven top manager. A “top manager” means someone who has either won the Champions League, won their domestic league, or has extensive experience with innovation. That’s all. Chelsea’s owner has money but no brains, and believes that in modern football, money matters more than intelligence.