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Is Enzo Maresca the right head coach for Manchester City? We asked seven Athletic writers https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7291873/2026/05/20/enzo-maresca-manchester-city/ It must rank as one of the hardest jobs in football. Succeeding Pep Guardiola, arguably the greatest coach of his era, at Manchester City will be an onerous — perhaps impossible — task, but Enzo Maresca seems certain to accept it. We asked seven writers at The Athletic to debate whether it would be the right move for City and Maresca. Oliver Kay Enzo Maresca would be, without question, a gamble on Manchester City’s part. An educated gamble — given the identity and track record of those making the decision — but a gamble nonetheless. It was also a gamble when Chelsea appointed him in the summer of 2024 when he had been a head coach for just 18 months, with Parma in Italy’s second tier and Leicester City in England’s second tier. Did it pay off? To an extent, yes — he was certainly more successful than the club’s other coaching appointments under BlueCo’s ownership — but he only won 28 Premier League matches out of 57 (and only eight of 19 in season two). Even taking Chelsea’s dysfunction into account, it was a steady record rather than a spectacular one. If I were a City supporter, or indeed a City player, I would be concerned that any coach would be a downgrade on Pep Guardiola. Maresca might have some of the same ideas and coaching principles, but does he have the same energy, the same charisma, the same knowledge? Watching him at Chelsea, I never thought so. He struck me as a very good coach who was still finding his way. The guy he will be taking over from is a once-in-a-generation type. What You Should Read Next Inside Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea exit: Rotation disagreements, Man City talks and defender woe Enzo Maresca left Chelsea on New Year's Day but the seeds of his exit were sown many months before Adam Crafton It’s a tricky one to predict, given how unique the jobs are that Enzo Maresca previously took. At both Leicester and Chelsea, he achieved trophy-winning success, but he also endured periods in each role which called into question his tactics (particularly keeping possession for possession’s sake at times), as well as his ability to manage both up to the boardroom and the dressing room. However, it is notable to me that Leicester’s players appeared to sincerely miss him when he left upon promotion and a handful of Chelsea’s players also appear to have been grieving his exit in the second half of this season. I did see his best Chelsea performance, the demolition of PSG in the Club World Cup final, but performances such as these were a one-off rather than consistent. Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea demolished PSG in the Club World Cup finalAlex Grimm/Getty Images While I understand the sense of continuity (Maresca’s preferred playing style is similar to Guardiola’s and he has been in the City system), I also wonder how City’s players may respond to a coach who could easily be perceived as Pep-Lite. It’s also worth remembering that Guardiola’s own style has become more direct over the past 18 months, and Maresca may need to undergo his own evolution to maximise the talent pool now on City’s books. Dan Sheldon The new sporting understatement of the year is that replacing Pep Guardiola is going to be an incredibly tall order, maybe even impossible. He is undeniably the best manager of his generation and will leave a void that is going to be incredibly difficult for Manchester City to fill, no matter their faith in Enzo Maresca. There is every chance I may look daft come May 2027, but it is difficult to get excited about the anticipated appointment. Yes, Guardiola is leaving a squad packed full of talent that has age on its side, yet I have a nagging feeling that Maresca is not the right coach to take City forward. Even though Leicester City topped the Championship under Maresca in 2023-24, they limped over the line and you wouldn’t have found many supporters distraught over his exit a few weeks later. A Club World Cup success and messy exit later, the jury — in my view — remains out on just how good Maresca is. There is no doubt that City have done their due diligence and given this a lot of thought — plus, are any elite managers actually available? — but I am not optimistic that it is going to work. Cue me looking rather silly at the end of next season. Rob Tanner There is a sense of fate dictating that Enzo Maresca succeed Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Maresca worked as the under-21s coach at City under Guardiola and the two bonded over a shared vision of how the game should be played. Maresca then moved to Leicester City to realise his vision on a team that had just been relegated to the Championship. There were doubts whether it would work and whether the possession-based style would suit the players he had inherited. He was questioned at times by the fans, despite consistently getting results, but he was steadfast in his commitment and unwavering in his belief in his plan. The players loved it. They enjoyed the structure he gave them, the fact everything was based around possession rather than running. Above all, they enjoyed winning again. When he left for Chelsea after winning the Championship, Leicester’s decline gathered pace. Maresca celebrates winning the Championship with LeicesterNathan Stirk/Getty Images It is never easy to follow in the footsteps of a club’s greatest manager, but Maresca will not be daunted by the prospect. His self belief is iron-clad. He doesn’t like to be dictated to by senior management on football matters and he is not a corporate yes man, but City will know the character they are bringing in. He can be sensitive to media criticism at times so will have to toughen his skin, but the appointment of Maresca does make sense as it should be a less daunting transition from Guardiola than would otherwise be the case with another manager. Greg O’Keeffe It will be interesting to see whether Enzo Maresca has reflected on why it did not work out for him at Chelsea. Because as much as there was sympathy for him over the circumstances he had to operate under — with suggestions of pressure over his selections, constant scrutiny from exec level and clashes with the medical department — there’s also a feeling he didn’t help himself. Did he really need his ego buffered by public backing from the owners? Why did he talk to City about replacing Guardiola while already in a job? Could he have handled the media better? The answer to all these questions, and the extent to which he has learned and grown, will influence his ability to thrive in an even more challenging role: filling the biggest shoes in club football. It will be hard to know whether the Italian is the right man to replace the irreplaceable until at least May 2027, but Maresca clearly ticks many boxes for those charged with planning for City’s next epoch, and his ability to unite a group of players and win trophies is proven (to an extent). There may well be bigger names to which City could turn but Maresca’s time at the Etihad, his ‘feel’ for the club from that previous spell as a first-team coach and perhaps Guardiola’s blessing, is a significant step towards hopes of a smooth transition. Cerys Jones Sometimes the best solution is the most obvious one. The most important criteria for succeeding Manchester City’s most successful manager is being able to emulate him as closely as possible. Maresca, who is a student of Guardiola’s style of play and worked under him at the Etihad during their treble-winning season, clearly fits that bill. City’s hierarchy know exactly who they are getting. The fact that they are physically similar and share a tactical profile does not make it a like-for-like swap. Guardiola earned his stature through his playing career, and the fact he successfully implemented his methods at Barcelona and Bayern Munich before City. Maresca’s promotion with Leicester and the Club World Cup and Conference League wins with Chelsea will not command quite the same respect. However, it has become clear that his relative lack of experience did not stop him winning over Chelsea’s dressing room. City’s, which is generally more stable in any case, ought to be an easier task — and a character reference from their former boss ought to help bring the players on board. A fundamental difference from his Chelsea days will be that Maresca will not be able to defend any missteps by pointing to what he deems faulty recommendations from others at the club, or the machinery around him not being up to scratch. If he cannot guide a group of players that is a well-oiled winning machine, primed to his football ideas, to trophies, it is hard for the blame to fall anywhere but on him. Seb Stafford-Bloor I don’t envy him. To succeed Pep Guardiola is to be compared with him in every way and it’s difficult to see how Enzo Maresca will ever be flattered by that. There are many conclusions to draw from Guardiola’s decade at City, but among them is that he normalised success and made it routine and long ago set that as the club’s standard. Arguably, that makes the City job — on a performance evaluation basis at least — harder than any other in Europe today. Judging Maresca’s coaching credentials is also difficult, because Chelsea was a curious context within which it was never clear who was responsible for what. In fact, one of the arguments that led to his downfall seemed to be regarding how credit was apportioned for the Club World Cup success last summer. On the one hand, Maresca wrangled talent effectively under difficult circumstances. On the other, he was politically clumsy towards the end and allowed his own capital to dissipate remarkably quickly. Can anyone confidently predict what will happen next? Oliver Kay|Football Writer Adam Crafton|Football Writer Dan Sheldon|Football Writer Sebastian Stafford-Bloor Rob Tanner|Leicester City Correspondent Greg O'Keeffe|Senior Writer Cerys Jones|Football Writer

Xabi Alonso to bring four ex-Real Madrid coaches to Chelsea, Calum McFarlane set to stay https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7287865/2026/05/18/xabi-alonso-Chelsea-coaches/ Xabi Alonso’s long-term assistant coach Sebastian Parrilla is one of four members of his Real Madrid backroom staff who are set to join him at Chelsea. Assistants Alberto Encinas and Benat Labaien, plus fitness coach Ismael Camenforte Lopez are also expected to move to Stamford Bridge with Alonso. Interim head coach Calum McFarlane is set to remain at the club and be part of the new manager’s backroom staff. Chelsea set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva and goalkeeping coach Ben Roberts are both also expected to stay on under Alonso. Alonso gave the Madrid backroom staff an extensive refresh upon his appointment last summer and there remains a possibility that he could bring more coaches to Chelsea. The 44-year-old was appointed Chelsea manager on Sunday on a four-year deal. The job marks his return to management after being sacked by Madrid in January. All four coaches departed Madrid alongside Alonso at the beginning of the year. The former midfielder has worked with Parrilla since the beginning of his coaching career, dating back to the pair taking charge of Madrid’s under-14s in 2018. Parrilla had spent two decades working in Madrid’s academy, before joining Alonso at Real Sociedad’s B team in 2019, and then Bayer Leverkusen, where they guided the club to their first Bundesliga title in 2023-24 after going the entire domestic campaign unbeaten. The Athletic reported in June that Alonso relies on Parrilla in particular for defensive work and set-pieces. Encinas is a former coach at Barcelona’s La Masia academy, who first worked with Alonso during his successful spell at Leverkusen before he brought him to Madrid. Labaien joined Alonso at Madrid, returning to the club where he worked in the youth set-up between 2011 and 2014. A video analyst and assistant coach, he has also had spells at Atletico Madrid, Leeds United, Real Sociedad, Al Wakrah and Real Zaragoza, in addition to a stint in charge of Japanese side Tokushima Vortis in 2023. What You Should Read Next Alonso choosing Chelsea is a leap of faith – and a coup for the club who must make it work From Real Madrid to Chelsea is a bold move from Alonso - but being given the title of manager means he should have more power Camenforte Lopez first worked with Alonso at Leverkusen, before joining him at Madrid as the club’s head of fitness preparation. His focus was on the style of play of Alonso’s teams, planning players’ loads and on-pitch work. He previously spent eight years at La Masia, followed by spells at New York City and Denmark’s national team. McFarlane moved to Chelsea from Southampton in the summer of 2025 as Under-21 coach, and has had two spells in interim charge this season following the departures of Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior. The 40-year-old confirmed on Monday that Alonso has been in touch with him since Chelsea officially announced he is the club’s next permanent manager on Sunday morning. “I haven’t spoken to him, but I’ve had a brief conversation with him via text yesterday,” he said in a press conference. “I’ll keep that private, but (it was) mainly just around the final.” Alonso will not officially start work until July 1, but McFarlane has revealed the players have reacted very positively to the news. When asked if he has noticed the players are excited about Alonso coming in, he replied: “Yes, everyone has been excited. He’s had a really good career so far. Won major trophies, a great playing career. He will have a lot of respect from everyone. “He is a great coach, with a massive pedigree. We are all looking forward to working with him.” Chelsea take on Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday and midfielder Romeo Lavia is a doubt after picking up a minor injury in training last week which caused him to be left out of Saturday’s FA Cup Final. Mario Cortegana|Football Writer, Real Madrid Simon Johnson|Chelsea Correspondent

Chelsea squad audit: Time to cash in on Enzo Fernandez? What next for Liam Delap? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7294593/2026/05/21/Chelsea-squad-audit-fernandez-delap/ Part of the rationale for Xabi Alonso’s appointment at Chelsea is that his style of play does not require a full squad overhaul — but that does not mean it will be a quiet summer. They are not in the same position as last summer, with a ‘bomb squad’ of unwanted players to clear out, but not everyone on their books can expect meaningful minutes next year. There are 29 senior players listed in the first-team squad on the club website, plus several who are on loan or have signed pre-agreements to join this summer. Nobody is out of contract, so any exits are dependent on finding an interested party. So who is best placed for a significant role under Alonso, and who might be better served by a loan or permanent exit? The Athletic looks at the options in each position. Goalkeepers After opting against pursuing a deal for Mike Maignan last summer, Chelsea have stuck with Robert Sanchez as No 1 — bar a brief spell where Filip Jorgensen usurped him in March. Sanchez has not been immune to errors, but his shot-stopping has been key to Chelsea and Liam Rosenior’s exit relieves some of the questions about his ability on the ball. At a time when the team needs stability, keeping him as first-choice goalkeeper feels a less risky option than going into the market. Mike Penders’ impending arrival after his loan at Strasbourg has implications for the rest of the goalkeeping department. If Chelsea want the 20-year-old to begin integrating into the squad as Sanchez’s deputy, it might be wiser for Jorgensen — who had a horrible moment against PSG, but has overall improved across the season — to move on. Teddy Sharman-Lowe, who gained experience on loan at Bolton Wanderers in the first half of the season, would appear to be next in the pecking order ahead of Gaga Slonina. Keep: Sanchez, Penders, Sharman-Lowe Sell: Jorgensen Loan: Slonina Centre-backs Having a fully fit Levi Colwill after he missed the vast majority of the season through an anterior cruciate ligament injury will be as good as a new signing. Colwill will be the linchpin at centre-back — the question is how many potential partners and deputies he needs. Chelsea are due to have nine centre-backs, not including the possibility of any new signings, so this is an obvious department for a clear-out. Trevoh Chalobah, having made an impressive recovery from the bomb squad to start 31 Premier League games this season, has surely secured his future. Tosin Adarabioyo seems valued as a leadership figure, though he can probably expect even fewer minutes with Colwill back. Chelsea will surely want to keep academy graduate Josh Acheampong, who is popular with fans and will want a greater role next season. Leiv Colwill will be crucial to Alonso’s defenceClive Rose/Getty Images Mamadou Sarr, 20, and Aaron Anselmino, 21, both spent much of this season developing on loan (in Sarr’s case, this was cut short to return to Chelsea midway through the season, where he has had a limited role). The natural next step is to integrate into the first team as squad players. Wesley Fofana is an interesting case. He has featured heavily for Chelsea this season but his performances have not been as consistent as team-mates like Chalobah and, given Colwill’s return, it would not be surprising to see his involvement decline. Benoit Badiashile’s injury record casts serious doubt on his reliability and he has not always impressed when available. His stock at Chelsea is low, though, and finding a buyer could be a challenge. The most obvious exit candidate is Axel Disasi, who Chelsea will hope to move on permanently after a successful loan at West Ham United. Keep: Colwill, Chalobah, Acheampong, Tosin, Anselmino, Sarr Sell: Fofana, Badiashile, Disasi Full-backs This department is far leaner. The only debate over Reece James is whether his role under Alonso will be in midfield or at right-back. Malo Gusto is his clear deputy, with Acheampong or Sarr also able to slide out to right-back. The Athletic has reported that Geovany Quenda, who will arrive from Sporting CP this summer, is earmarked for a role as a winger rather than wing-back at Chelsea — but it feels possible Alonso’s arrival could change that if he does opt to use wing-backs as he did at Bayer Leverkusen. Jorrel Hato has blossomed in the last few months and is establishing himself as a capable deputy to Marc Cucurella at left-back, with the versatility to help as a left-sided centre-back. This is not an area where Chelsea can afford too many exits without high-quality replacements, particularly given the importance of attacking full-backs in Alonso’s football. It could be the incoming manager wants to shift James to midfield, which puts less strain on his injury-prone body, and add a more experienced specialist wing-back. Keep: Cucurella, Hato, James, Gusto, Quenda. Midfield Enzo Fernandez’s future, despite having his best season in front of goal for the club, is the biggest question mark in Chelsea’s squad. The Argentina international was dropped for two games in April over comments made to the media, and his agent confirmed to The Athletic that the player intended to “explore other options” if an agreement on a new contract cannot be reached with Chelsea after the World Cup. Fernandez has been crucial to Chelsea’s build-up and goal threat, and still has six years remaining on his contract. But Chelsea also want to add more maturity and leadership to their squad and, in that sense, Fernandez’s disciplinary record and his decision to air some of his complaints in public could count against him. Chelsea are targeting at least two starting-calibre signings this summer; recouping a healthy amount of the then-British record transfer fee they paid for Fernandez in 2023 would certainly help them in the market. The important caveat is that one of those signings would have to be a midfielder who can replace Fernandez, but that would be a good position to introduce a new leader in the squad. Fernandez’s future at Chelsea is uncertainCarl Recine/Getty Images In defensive midfield, Moises Caicedo has recommitted to Chelsea with a new long-term deal, and Andrey Santos has impressed in a deeper role in his first season at the club, arguably moving ahead of Romeo Lavia in the pecking order. With James as an additional option, Chelsea have enough holding midfielders for Alonso’s usual box midfield. Dario Essugo spent the vast majority of his first season at Chelsea recovering from a thigh injury but the handful of minutes he has played span a few different midfield roles, suggesting the club will view him as a useful cover player to keep around the squad. Cole Palmer will be the first pick for a central attacking-midfield role, which Fernandez could also fulfil if he stays at the club. Estevao has impressed as an out-and-out winger this season, but sees himself as a No 10 too. If Alonso wants to implement the tactics he used at Leverkusen at Chelsea, saddling Estevao with the defensive responsibilities of a wing-back feels like a waste of his talent, so a partnership with Palmer behind the striker could be the best solution. Keep: Caicedo, Santos, Lavia, Palmer, Essugo, Estevao Sell: Fernandez Wingers If Alonso wants to employ a back three and wing-backs in the way he did at Bayer Leverkusen, that is not ideal for several players. When Manchester United used wing-backs under Ruben Amorim, Alejandro Garnacho was generally preferred for an inside-forward role, but it is tricky to see him displacing Chelsea team-mates there. Jamie Gittens, too, is a straightforward winger and has had a difficult first season at Stamford Bridge, struggling for a place due to form and often fitness. Neither of the two summer 2025 signings have made much of an impression. It is hard to predict whether any of these players will need to make way without knowing how Alonso plans to use his squad. Gittens arguably deserves more of a chance, without injury, to make his case. Garnacho has had far more opportunities and failed to make an impact. It is worth seeing how he fares in whatever system Alonso opts for. Pedro Neto’s availability and versatility make him an important player. What next for Garnacho?Alex Pantling/Getty Images Jesse Derry, who joined Chelsea from Crystal Palace’s academy last summer and has predominantly featured for the youth teams, is on the periphery of first-team football. A spate of injuries presented him with the opportunity for a Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest earlier in May, which was cut short by a nasty head injury. Chelsea clearly see a path into the first team for the 18-year-old. Tyrique George, after a more prominent role at the beginning of the campaign, has spent his 2026 on loan at Everton and has featured consistently from the bench — but without scoring in his 10 league appearances. Chelsea have enough wide talent and, if a permanent move can be found, it would represent pure profit as he is an academy graduate. Finally, Mykhailo Mudryk is currently appealing a ban for doping at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Keep: Neto, Gittens, Garnacho, Derry Sell: George Strikers Joao Pedro has been Chelsea’s best signing of the season and, though he has shown the versatility to play as a No 10, has firmly staked his claim as a starting striker. The question is over his backups. The first half of Liam Delap’s season was derailed by injury, but he has now had ample time to show what he can do and is yet to convince. He has failed to score in his past 25 appearances. A couple of brief injuries to Joao Pedro afforded him Premier League starts against Manchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Tottenham Hotspur in the past month and he has not shown much in those opportunities. Emanuel Emegha will join from Strasbourg, and Nicolas Jackson is due to return from his loan at Bayern Munich. Marc Guiu remains on the books. Chelsea do not need four backup centre-forwards; someone needs to make way. Delap has struggled to convinceMike Hewitt/Getty Images A loan for Guiu — which was the plan before he was recalled following Delap’s hamstring injury at the beginning of this season — feels sensible to allow the 20-year-old some playing time. Emegha’s injury issues this season at Strasbourg stir doubt over how quickly he can adapt to the load of the Premier League, but the timing feels right to integrate him into the squad. If Chelsea are willing to reintegrate Jackson, he is already familiar with others in the squad and would be their most reliable backup to Joao Pedro. He scored eight goals in 23 Bundesliga appearances — only 12 of which were starts — which is a far more productive record than Delap. The challenge is whether Chelsea would want to reintegrate him: if they can sell him, his value will presumably have been boosted by this season’s loan. Retaining either Delap or Jackson and selling the other feels the best solution. Finding a buyer, particularly for Delap, is difficult, given the high valuations Chelsea would presumably attach to both. Keep: Joao Pedro, Emegha, Jackson/Delap Sell: Jackson/Delap Loan: Guiu Cerys Jones Cerys is a London-based writer covering Chelsea for The Athletic, as well as other London clubs and women's football. She joined The Athletic in summer 2025.

Enzo Fernandez wants Cristian Romero to join Chelsea from rivals Tottenham this summer. (Simon Phillips) Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella remains a long-term target for both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. (Sky Sports) Chelsea have a surprise interest in snapping up Bernardo Silva on a free transfer this summer as he closes in on an exit from Manchester City. (Marca) Meanwhile, Levi Colwill’s future is in doubt as both Real Madrid and Barcelona are keeping an eye on the Chelsea defender. (Marca) Chelsea are stepping up their interest in Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix and could be prepared to try a swap deal for him this summer. (Sports Boom) Barcelona’s top two targets to replace Robert Lewandowski this summer are Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez and Chelsea’s Joao Pedro. (Mundo Deportivo) Barcelona retain an interest in Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella, though their priority for now seems to be on attacking players such as Julian Alvarez, as well as a final decision on the future of Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford. (Sky Sports)

Our season ended after that UCL tie with PSG. Something must have happened between the players and Liam for them to not care at all.....and then as soon as he's gone, they decide to give it a go vs Leeds in fa cup and then show some pride vs Spurs at home. We beat Villa by 3 goals and we were on course for UCL (4th/5th spot)....the rest is history.

As the excitement builds towards this summers World Cup, it’s been reported by Matt Law that Cole Palmer…View the full article

I am a hundred percent positive we would have gotten it with Maresca, so Xabi better be fucking good..

Thomas Tuchel is strongly considering calling up Levi Colwill for England's World Cup squad, talkSPORT understands. Not good News for Chelsea!!!!

Well, good news is that there are no more dominant sides like we used to have for many seasons where champions were between 90-100 points. Liverpool failed to win title with 97 and 92 points, Arsenal with 89. This season just 82 was needed for title which is the smallest amount of points since Leicester.

Even if we qualify for Conference we can reject playing it like Juventus did. But not sure our owners are like that. Also unbelievable that less than 60 points was needed for CL and we failed.

Yeah, but I meant it was discussed that we could potentially profit from playing in ECL by helping some young players to integrate to first squad. One season gone after the ECL-one, it didn't happen. Guiu got a couple of games and minutes during his two seasons, I don't feel much in him. He is not bad but not see what he is supposed to be outstanding at.

Chelsea have just one game to play this season, and then the long wait for 2026/2027 begins. At…View the full article

It'll be interesting to see if some of the City boys want a new challenge post-Pep though Maresca isn't a household name like Pep and he's never had to manage a team with title challenge expectations in the PL. For Chelsea, it was qualify for UCL. Imagine being Arsenal right now, you just got given the league title (with some biased calls) and now your biggest threat is leaving the PL altogether 😆

Even winning won't guarantee us Europa next season as Brighton are ahead by a point. As for the youngsters, Mhueka and Walsh were the big talents alongside Dyer. Antwi got off the bench on the 90th minute, hardly counts as "playing". Guiu's career is going to waste, we sent him to Sunderland on loan, then panicked and brought him back for no reason.

No, because they would be outside the top 7 places of the Premier League.... If they win Conference league, they get their own "place" in Europa next season. Now that Villa has won the Europa...it means 6th place only gets UCL next season if Aston Villa loses to City and Liverpool beat Brentford on matchday 38.

I hope we either win and go to Europa League or lose and avoid ECL.. Rather no weekday games just avoid ECL. I would say it's a good chance for young players but nobody who featured 2 years ago(Guiu, Mheuka, Antwi, Rak-Sayki, Welsh etc.) got anywhere near to first team.

Classic, serious nostalgia.

Brilliant he fucked the fuckers...

Joao Pedro’s Brazil World Cup absence is a shock. But it will be to Chelsea’s benefit https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7290028/2026/05/19/joao-pedro-Chelsea-brazil-world-cup-analysis/ Who would have thought Carlo Ancelotti could be the bearer of such bad news for a top Chelsea striker? The former Chelsea manager provided quite the surprise on Monday evening by leaving Joao Pedro out of the Brazil squad for this summer’s World Cup. Few saw this coming. Not least Joao Pedro’s extended family, who filmed themselves gathered around to watch Brazil’s squad announcement… only to be disappointed when his name was not read out. As The Athletic revealed last week, representing Brazil has been the forward’s dream since he was a teenager. After scoring an impressive 20 goals in all competitions for a struggling Chelsea side — which has recently seen him named the Chelsea supporters’ men’s player of the season — and having featured in the last Brazil squad, it looked like he would surely make the cut. Perhaps he lost out to sentiment or just pure reputation. Neymar, 34, was among the attackers picked instead. What You Should Read Next Neymar is going to the World Cup – let the psychodrama begin Welcome to Neymar: Last-Chance Saloon, a slightly different rolling experience that will either make Brazil's summer — or break it “Of course, we are sad for Joao Pedro,” said Ancelotti, as reported by MSN. “For the season he had in Europe, he probably deserved to be on this list, but unfortunately, with all possible awareness and respect, we chose another player. I feel very sorry for Joao Pedro and all the others (left out).” Ancelotti, who won the double of Premier League and FA Cup with Chelsea in 2010, tried to provide the consolation that Joao Pedro will have “the opportunity to be part of the next World Cup”. But four years is going to feel a long way away right now. Admittedly, Joao Pedro has not scored in the eight caps he has won for Brazil so far. Five of those have come under Ancelotti this season, so that will not have helped his cause. Yet anyone who saw his overhead kick against Nottingham Forest or that incredible shot with his left foot at Napoli, to give just two examples of his talent in front of goal, will be mystified at the snub. The big winners in this are Chelsea and their new manager, Xabi Alonso. Instead of adding to his workload with highly pressurised games in intense heat, Joao Pedro will be getting some welcome mental and physical rest instead. It means the 24-year-old will get to enjoy a proper break. That is all the more important given his summer vacation was cut short last year by signing for Chelsea from Brighton and Hove Albion and helping them win the Club World Cup. Alonso officially starts at Chelsea on July 1, and Joao Pedro will be able to begin working with him on the first day of pre-season training soon after. Such time is precious. Chelsea’s World Cup call-ups will be playing catch-up when they report for duty because their holiday will have to be fitted in after their country’s participation in the tournament is over. What You Should Read Next Inside Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea appointment and why Liverpool did not turn to manager seeking ‘mentality monsters’ Xabi Alonso wants to turn Chelsea into 'mentality monsters' and the club will support him with at least two new top-level signings Joao Pedro will only be human if he is feeling rather crushed right now. But such setbacks can also be a positive in motivating to get even better. Posting on his official Instagram account within hours of Ancelotti’s squad announcement, Joao Pedro is clearly taking the professional approach. “I tried to give my best at all times,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to fulfil this dream of representing my country in a World Cup, but I remain calm and focused, as I always try to be. “Joys and frustrations are part of football. I wish good luck to everyone who is there, and I will be just another fan cheering for them to bring the sixth title (World Cup) home.” Should Brazil disappoint, Joao Pedro’s omission will come under even more scrutiny. Chelsea may come to reflect on it, though, as a blessing in disguise. Simon Johnson has spent the majority of his career as a sports reporter since 2000 covering Chelsea, firstly for Hayters, then the London Evening Standard and finally The Athletic for the past six years. This included going to every game home and away as the west London club secured the Champions League in 2012. He also reported on the England national team between 2008-19 and been a regular contributor to talkSPORT radio station for over a decade.

Enzo Maresca working on transfer, pre-season plans ahead of Manchester City job https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7289785/2026/05/20/man-city-enzo-maresca-manager-plans/ Enzo Maresca has started working on summer transfer activity and pre-season planning before his impending appointment by Manchester City. The Italian is set to replace Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium, with the Catalan bringing to an end his glittering 10-year tenure. Former Chelsea head coach Maresca left Stamford Bridge in January, a fortnight after The Athletic revealed he would be high among the candidates for the City job in the event Guardiola departed the club this summer, as he is now set to do. And sources briefed on the situation, not authorised to speak publicly, say he has already been collaborating closely with sporting director Hugo Viana for pre-season, the new campaign and beyond in preparation to take over. Maresca won the Conference League and the Club World Cup in his one full season in charge in west London and led the club to Champions League qualification. The 46-year-old, who won the Championship title with Leicester City, has worked at City previously, coaching the club’s Under-21 side for the 2020-21 season and returning as a first-team assistant to Guardiola in the summer of 2022. Guardiola has guided City to 20 trophies across a decade at the club, including the Carabao Cup and FA Cup this season. After winning four successive Premier League titles between 2021 and 2024, with the 2022-23 campaign bringing the treble including City’s first Champions League trophy, the club have now gone successive seasons without a league title. In 2024-25, City finished third and 13 points behind eventual champions Liverpool, before losing out to Arsenal this campaign. His final game will come against Aston Villa at the Etihad on Sunday, on the Premier League’s final weekend of the season. What You Should Read Next Is Enzo Maresca the right head coach for Manchester City? We asked seven Athletic writers Succeeding Pep Guardiola at Manchester City will be an onerous — perhaps impossible — task. But Maresca seems certain to accept it What kind of player suits Maresca’s preferred style? Analysis by Chelsea correspondent Liam Twomey Asked in a Chelsea press conference about Renato Veiga’s desire to play centre-back in January 2025, Maresca took the opportunity to set out his broader philosophy of the footballers he likes: “If there is a player that only wants to play one position, they have to adapt.” Maresca values versatility in players, a level of game intelligence and skill that can transcend specialised positions when the opponent or the circumstances of the game demand it. His goalkeeper must be prepared to play with the ball at his feet well outside his box. His full-backs must be ready to invert into defensive or even attacking midfield, as well as overlap or underlap in the final third. His centre-backs must be prepared to push deep into opposition territory to track their markers, as well as recover into the vast expanse of space behind them. His midfielders must always know where the space and the free men are. His wingers must pick the right times to move infield and stay wide. His striker must know when to drop deep to receive the ball and link play, and when to run in behind or connect with crosses into the box. Enzo Fernandez, Marc Cucurella and Pedro Neto in particular thrived. Levi Colwill and Moises Caicedo also excelled in a tighter structure, though Cole Palmer at times gave the impression of a player whose improvisational genius was being curbed. Maresca will find plenty of suitable players at City. The likes of Nico O’Reilly, Josko Gvardiol, Marc Guehi, Matheus Nunes, Rodri, Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo should adapt easily. Others — perhaps even star names like Gianluigi Donnarumma and Erling Haaland — may find his football less than ideal for their skill sets. David Ornstein joined The Athletic in October 2019 after 12 years as a sports journalist and correspondent at the BBC. In the role of Football Correspondent, he is responsible for producing exclusive and original stories and interviews, offering unique insight and analysis. He works across

What Chelsea’s Champions League absence means for their finances and UEFA agreement https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7291252/2026/05/20/Chelsea-champions-league-qualification-finances-uefa/ Despite Chelsea’s win over Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night, they can no longer qualify for next season’s Champions League. The club’s hopes of Champions League qualification have been hanging by a thread for some time, and were largely bolstered by the hope that Aston Villa winning the Europa League and finishing fifth in the Premier League would see the sixth-placed team in the league qualify. However, Tuesday’s results put that out of reach for Chelsea. Their highest possible finish is seventh, which would see them qualify for the Europa League, but that relies on at least a draw against Sunderland and Brighton & Hove Albion losing by a number of goals at home against Manchester United. A win for Chelsea and defeat for Brighton would also do it. Chelsea, as it stands, are eighth, which would mean a place in the Conference League. However, they still need to avoid defeat against Sunderland and rely on a beneficial result when Brentford travel to Liverpool to be guaranteed that spot. Here, The Athletic explains what missing out on Champions League football — and possibly European competition altogether — means financially in the context of Chelsea’s settlement agreement with UEFA. What impact does missing out on the Champions League have on Chelsea’s finances? Champions League football carries far more financial weight than UEFA’s second- and third-tier competitions. The Athletic estimates that Chelsea’s Champions League campaign this season, which ended in the round of 16 with defeat by Paris Saint-Germain, generated around £80million in UEFA distributions — plus income from the matches they hosted at Stamford Bridge. By comparison, winning the Europa League in 2018-19 earned £40.8m in prize money, and their Conference League triumph in 2024-25 earned £18.3m. Chelsea have a good chance of securing European football of some kind, but should they qualify for the Europa or Conference League, they carry nowhere near the same financial heft. Any shot at glory should be welcomed but, in cash terms, the benefits of UEFA’s junior competitions to a club carrying Chelsea’s operational costs are marginal; in the Conference League, which often involves substantial travel and where home games pale in significance to Champions League fixtures, it’s debatable whether the club even turns a profit from participation. Chelsea’s Champions League campaign generated significant revenueMike Hewitt/Getty Images What is the settlement agreement and what happens if Chelsea breach it? There is particular focus on Chelsea’s finances because of the extra conditions imposed on them by a settlement agreement with UEFA. In July 2025, the club were fined for breaching UEFA’s football earnings rules (€20m) and squad cost rule (€11m). The squad cost rule breach was punished by a one-off fine. It is the football earnings breach that is being managed under a four-year settlement agreement, and that is a cause for concern going forward. In simple terms, the football earnings rule is UEFA’s mechanism designed to limit club losses. Clubs are allowed €60m in ‘adjusted losses’ over a rolling three-year period. That limit can be increased by €10m per season, for a total of €30m in a three-year assessment period, as long as clubs comply with the financial conditions UEFA uses to assess whether or not they are in good health. In simple terms, the agreement sees Chelsea: Limited to a maximum €60million (£52m) Football Earnings deficit in the 2025-26 season; Limited to zero losses in 2026-27, which can be extended by any headroom the club has in its 2025-26 Football Earnings calculation, up to a maximum of €60m; and Limited to a maximum of €60m in Football Earnings losses (increasable to €90m if various ‘good’ financial conditions are showcased, though English clubs generally fail to do so) in the three seasons spanning 2025-26 to 2027-28. If Chelsea exceed any of those individual targets by less than €20m, they’ll receive a fine proportional to the excess (up to €20m). If they exceed any of those by more than €20m, UEFA will deem them in breach of the settlement agreement, terminate it and ban them from its competitions for a season. What does that have to do with European qualification? Compliance with the settlement agreement looks feasible for the 2025-26 season, but next season or the one after look more difficult without Champions League football. As explained above, the prize money for competing in the Europa or Conference League is far lower. Also, fans and sponsors will not stump up the same money as they would for a Champions League campaign. Many of Chelsea’s players are on incentivised contracts and will see their wages fall in a campaign without Champions League football. Yet even in 2023-24, when Chelsea played no European football and did not qualify for the Champions League during that season (and so had no such bonuses to account for), the club’s wage bill was still £338m. They would have other costs that a failure to qualify will not take away, either. For example, their player amortisation bill was £212.2m in 2024-25, and that will be a higher figure in UEFA’s calculations as they limit player amortisation periods to five years. If Chelsea did receive a ban, when would it be enforced? If UEFA find Chelsea in breach of their settlement agreement, the terms of the agreement say that the club would be excluded “from the next one applicable UEFA club competition for which it would otherwise qualify in the following three seasons”. In that event, the settlement agreement would be terminated and the club would effectively start afresh, with the same regulations as any other side, after serving that ban. That applies equally whether that competition is the Champions, Europa, or Conference League. There is therefore a theory that the club could somehow engineer things to serve a ban in a season where they qualified for the Europa League or Conference League, missing out on those less prestigious and less lucrative competitions rather than a Champions League campaign, then starting over. However, that is not really the case. To use a hypothetical example, let’s say Chelsea finish eighth this season and qualify for the Conference League. They cannot simply decide to take a ban next season. Firstly, it seems likely they can comply with the settlement agreement this season anyway. But even if they were in breach, loss limits are adjudicated upon retrospectively — so any 2025-26 breach would likely be discovered during 2026-27, while they would already be competing in the Conference League in our hypothetical scenario. The ban would be applied to the following season instead. By the same logic, if Chelsea were to breach the agreement next season, a ban would likely await in 2028-29. A ban would apply to any European competitionDean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images What impact could this have on transfer business? As well as the obvious point that being in the Champions League helps attract talent, the missing revenue from not being in the competition means Chelsea will need to take extra care to stay within the settlement agreement. That includes their transfer spending, which has been enormous in the past few seasons. As The Athletic have reported, Chelsea are intending to sign at least two starting-calibre players this summer. Given the financial situation, it is even more important that those are the right players for the right prices. What’s more, Chelsea’s business model involves player trading and generating profitable sales. The club’s financial statements detail the two most important factors in determining whether future extra funding is required from their BlueCo owners: “the net impact of future player transfer activity and on-pitch performance of the men’s football team”. If one of those drops off, the other will be even more important to club finances. Chelsea need Champions League football for BlueCo’s project to add up; without it, player sales, at a level beyond that already baked into the club’s strategy, will be required. Cerys Jones| Football Writer Chris Weatherspoon| Football Finance Writer

We’re already going to need a high quality striker with JP here! The idea that we can ever consider selling him this summer is crazy. Unless he himself literally begs the club to let him go AND Barca can come up with £85-90m we shouldn’t even be picking up the phone. I don’t know of any striker of JP’s level who we could go out and easily replace him with.

💥🔵I think J. Pedro is going to leave us this summer. Barcelona has turned his head, and the rumors just keep coming❗️❗️

^ @Vesper For me we need a Jorginho type but with significantly more mobility. A controlling, deep sitting midfielder with excellent technical ability. Lavia was supposed to be just that for us of course and does that defensive screen role perfectly but we need to move him on this summer because he can only play 5 games per season. Andrey Santos does the job well in this role but I’m not sure he’s every match starter level at a club like ours. Very good squad player who gets starts here and there. We really need to replicate the Kante, Jorginho, Kova midfield. We have Caicedo and Enzo who can be the box to box guys but we need a super high quality string puller this summer. You plug a Anderson/Wharton/Scott type right at the base of our midfield and it transforms how we can play.

In terms of DMFs First type: the great ones, but ones who are very unrealistic for multiple reasons, especially as we missed out on CL, but not just limited to that, as some simply will not want to leave their club for Chels, or are simply too expensive Sandro Tonali Adam Wharton Aleksandar Pavlovic Aurélien Tchouaméni 2nd Type: DMFs that we probably have a shot at Carlos Baleba Amadou Onana Nico González Morten Hjulmand Angelo Stiller Boubacar Kamara James Garner Alan Varela Marc Bernal Máximo Perrone Hayden Hackney Aleksandar Stanković Leon Avdullahu Mandela Keita