Former England internationals Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have voiced disbelief at reports suggesting that Enzo Maresca is already under pressure at Chelsea, despite the Italian’s recent success with the club.
Maresca, who guided the Blues to the UEFA Conference League title last season and the FIFA Club World Cup trophy this summer, is facing growing speculation over his future after a string of disappointing results. Chelsea opened their Champions League campaign with a 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich, followed by a 2-1 loss to struggling Manchester United and another setback against Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Chelsea’s hierarchy is renowned for its impatience with managers, but both Lineker and Shearer believe talk of Maresca being on the brink is premature and unfair.
“It’s funny football isn’t it – Maresca is apparently now under pressure,” Lineker said on The Rest is Football Podcast.
“He won two trophies recently, he’s got [Cole] Palmer out [with injury]. Surely not? He’s just won the Club World Cup.”
Shearer echoed those sentiments, pointing out that the Italian has faced challenging circumstances.
“He was probably expected to win the Conference League with Chelsea, but there weren’t too many people that tipped Chelsea to win the Club World Cup, and he did win it.
“He’s lost two games in a row, and he’s lost them because essentially both times he’s gone down to 10 men, and we know how difficult that is.
“Because of it being Chelsea, you’re not going to get too much sympathy. Should he be under pressure? In my opinion, no, because he’s lost two games, but you know when you sign up to that football club that anything can happen.
“You know the rules when you sign up to Chelsea, that can happen to you. Two losses and you’re under huge pressure is madness in football.”
Despite the rumours, reports from west London suggest the Chelsea hierarchy remain supportive of the former Leicester City manager, insisting there are no immediate plans to make a change in the dugout.
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