Maresca departed Stamford Bridge on January 2 in circumstances described by Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali as a change "that wasn't the club's decision."
Speaking at a conference in Los Angeles last month, Eghbali added: "I think the reasons will become kind of clear in due course. But no, it's not a change we wanted to make. It's a change that's had a bit of a negative impact on the season."
The 46-year-old Italian is now in position to become Manchester City's next head coach following Pep Guardiola's imminent departure, with Fabrizio Romano confirming a three-year deal in place. Chelsea are incensed at the sequence of events and believe Maresca was already engaged with City before his exit from the club was formalised, which they consider a breach of his contractual obligations. If a compensation figure cannot be agreed between the clubs, Chelsea are prepared to refer the matter to the Premier League for investigation.
Maresca's departure followed a deterioration of his relationship with the Chelsea hierarchy. The club had taken the unusual step of placing a medical staff member on the bench during matches to ensure injured players were substituted at pre-agreed times — a measure that reflected how far trust had broken down.
Alarm bells had sounded as early as December, when Maresca described the preceding 48 hours as the "worst" of his Chelsea tenure following a win over Everton, citing a lack of support, before later declining to clarify the remarks.
Before his move to Stamford Bridge, Maresca had served as Guardiola's first-team assistant during City's 2022-23 treble-winning season. Speculation connecting him to the City role had persisted throughout his Chelsea tenure, even after he publicly insisted he paid no attention to the links.
Chelsea's interim head coach Calum McFarlane is expected to remain as part of the staff under incoming manager Xabi Alonso, who officially takes charge on July 1.