Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella has launched a scathing criticism of the club’s decision to sack Enzo Maresca earlier this year, speaking candidly in an interview with The Athletic.
The Spaniard suggested that the squad had developed an unbreakable bond with the Italian coach, who famously led the Blues to Conference League and Club World Cup glory during his tenure.
Cucurella believes the current instability at Stamford Bridge is a direct result of the hierarchy moving on from a stable project too soon.
Despite securing significant silverware under Maresca, the Chelsea board opted for a managerial change in January, replacing the Italian with Liam Rosenior.
Since that transition, the Blues have struggled immensely on the pitch, winning only four of their last 12 matches.
The low point of this recent run was a heavy exit from the Champions League following a lopsided 8-2 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
According to Cucurella, the club is now paying the price for disrupting a tactical process that had finally begun to click after 18 months of development.
Cucurella told The Athletic that the team felt far more stable under Maresca because of the time they spent working together.
“With Enzo Maresca in charge, we were more stable, because we worked together for 18 months. If you look at our first pre-season with him, there were doubts. You need a process for every player to understand what we need to do. In our last months with Maresca, we played almost by heart. If we changed the system, we knew what we had to do. You need that time.
“When a manager gives you that confidence and offers you a platform to fight for titles, you’d die for him. The moment Maresca left, it had a big impact on us. These are decisions taken by the club. If you asked me, I would not have made this decision.”
The Spanish international also pointed to the stability found at rival clubs as a blueprint Chelsea should have followed.
“Look at Arsenal now, who are fighting for every trophy. They’ve been with [Mikel] Arteta for almost seven years and they have not won much. But that trust in the project gives rewards.”