Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel rips former club for “ridiculous” sacking of Enzo Maresca
The long time Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel launched a vicious attack on his former club after they made the decision to sack Enzo Maresca in January.
It’s been almost two months since Chelsea decided to cut ties with former manager Enzo Maresca, and John Obi Mikel is among the many are still pondering if the board made the right move in West London.
Chelsea moving backwards say Mikel
On his podcast, Obi One, Mikel did not shy away from criticizing the Blues hierarchy for their decision to let the Italian manager go on New Year’s Day, believing that the club has taken a step or “five” backwards since appointing Liam Rosenoir.
Rosenoir´s stint with Chelsea started with just one win in his first four matches, but then the Blues rattled off five wins in all competitions before their loss to Arsenal in the FA Cup at the beginning of the month. Since then, they have been knocked out of the Cup and have dropped out of the top four following Manchester United’s sudden resurgence under Michael Carrick.
“We had Enzo Maresca. I’ve said it, I think it was a massive mistake to sack him. I mean, it’s ridiculous,” Mikel said. “Yeah, a manager that won us the Club World Cup, won us the Conference League, we had some sort of identity the way we played. We took a step forward, and we’ve gone five steps backwards.”
Blues “lacking style” under Rosenoir
Maresca was named Chelsea´s manager in July of 2024 and led a resurgence of the club, winning the Conference League and the inaugural Club World Cup over the summer. They were also well on their way to qualifying for the next stage of the Champions League following a fantastic start to the league phase that included a 3-0 win over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge.
Things went south in West London following that win over the Blaugrana and Maresca´s side won just one of their next seven domestic league matches. That was enough for the board to cut ties with Maresca and Rosenoir was entrusted to straighten the ship.
While their place in the Round of 16 in the Champions League is secure, Chelsea have dropped four points in their last three league matches which has now cost them a spot in the top four following draws against Leeds and Burnley. Perhaps more concerning than the recent results, is the lack of style. “Liam has come in, and he’s won games, but there is absolutely something that is missing. Something is not quite right.”
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