Chelsea co-owner broke protocol to sack Enzo Maresca and promises new transfer policy in rare interview

Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali went against the club’s modus operandi in order to axe Enzo Maresca.

Speaking at the CAA’s World Congress of Sports conference on Thursday, Eghbali conceded the polarising call has had a ‘negative impact’ on the Blues but believed the rocky waters will ‘hopefully show a lot of character about the squad’.

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“Our policy has been no in-season [head coach] changes,” Eghbali said.

“You certainly review and hold not only the manager, but the management team, the sporting team, accountable, but typically in the summers, not in season.

“It’s not a change we wanted to make [Enzo Maresca leaving]. It’s a change that had a bit of a negative impact in the season, when you’re changing systems and personnel, and it’s one we’ve got to fight our way out of.

“We still have six matches in the Premier League, and an FA Cup semi-final coming up. So, hopefully the story of this season hasn’t been written yet, and you’ve got a lot to fight for.

“In my perspective, when you get punched in the face, you’ve got to fight back, you’ve got to stand up and fight. And it’s going to hopefully show a lot about the character of this squad.

“I think the perspective is stability, and frankly, getting that stability on the manager side is one of the things we haven’t done right yet, and it’s something we’re striving to improve on.”

Incumbent Blues boss Liam Rosenior is the fifth permanent manager of Chelsea since the BlueCo takeover in May 2022.

Thomas Tuchel began the BlueCo era in charge but was axed in September 2022, with Graham Potter plucked from Brighton to replace him.

However, Potter failed to see out the 2022/23 campaign and was axed after seven months.

Mauricio Pochettino was appointed as Potter’s successor but was only in charge for one season, prompting Maresca’s arrival at Stamford Bridge.

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Under the Italian, Chelsea returned to the Champions League along with scooping up silverware in the Conference League and Club World Cup.

Despite reasonable performances on the field, disagreements between Maresca and the club’s hierarchy prompted his sudden exit in January.

Rosenior now sits in the Stamford Bridge dugout but is on a run of four wins from their last 12 games.

Even then, three of those came in the FA Cup against Wrexham, Hull City and Port Vale, who are all in lower English divisions.

Alarmingly, Rosenior’s side have lost five of their last six across all competitions, leaving the Blues at real risk of missing out on the Champions League next season.

Regardless of where Chelsea end the campaign, Eghbali promised the club would veer away slightly from their youth-focused transfer approach in the summer.

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How old every permanent Chelsea signing was when they joined the club (2023/24 onwards)

Moises Caicedo – 21 years old

Romeo Lavia – 19 years old

Christopher Nkunku – 25 years old

Cole Palmer – 21 years old

Axel Disasi – 25 years old

Nicolas Jackson – 22 years old

Lesley Ugochukwu – 19 years old

Robert Sanchez – 25 years old

Djordje Petrovic – 23 years old

Angelo – 18 years old

Diego Moreira – 18 years old

Pedro Neto – 24 years old

Joao Felix – 24 years old

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 25 years old

Tosin Adarabioyo – 26 years old

Filip Jorgensen – 22 years old

Omari Kellyman – 18 years old

Mike Penders – 19 years old

Aaron Anselmino – 19 years old

Mathis Amougou – 19 years old

Renato Veiga – 20 years old

Caleb Wiley – 19 years old

Marc Guiu – 18 years old

Joao Pedro – 23 years old

Jamie Gittens – 20 years old

Alejandro Garnacho – 21 years old

Estevao – 18 years old

Jorrel Hato – 19 years old

Liam Delap – 22 years old

Dario Essugo – 20 years old

Mamadou Sarr – 19 years old

Kendry Paez – 18 years old

Instead, Eghbali vowed the Blues will look at ‘more ready-made players’.

“The view was to recruit and build elite players that can, frankly, be together and have that stability in the squad,” Eghbali said.

“We’re still in the 40th, 50th minute of that process.

“But the view is to keep, sign and retain and compensate and extend some of the world’s best players, and ultimately the view was you need, eight, 10, 12, 15 elite players to win and win sustainably, year after year.

“I think we’ve done a few things right, a lot of things right. We’ve got to be better on a few things, to add more ready-made players at this part of the project, to take it to the next level, to be consistent over time.”