Chelsea Boss Maresca Dismisses Manchester City Speculation as '100%' Rumour

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has labelled recent talk linking him with a return to Manchester City as nothing but hearsay.

The Italian manager, who once served as Pep Guardiola's assistant in Manchester, addressed the ongoing speculation surrounding his future.

Maresca, appointed Chelsea manager in the summer of 2024, is under contract running until 2029, with a potential extra year available.

"It doesn't affect me at all because I know that is 100% speculation," Maresca stated. "And at this moment, there is little room for such distractions."

He went on to explain, Primarily, because I have a contract here until 2029. And my focus, I said many times, is solely on this club and I'm very proud to be here. But again, it's rumour. One week ago I was connected to a role in Italy with Juventus. So I don't pay attention because I know that is without foundation."

Chelsea, currently sitting in fourth position in the Premier League, are set to face Newcastle United this Saturday in a 12:30 GMT fixture.

Tensions After Previous Remarks

Maresca's latest comments come after he referred to a previous 48-hour period as his "worst" since joining Chelsea.

Those initial words had fueled widespread talk of a possible rift between the coach and the club's ownership hierarchy.

When pressed if he had discussed matters with the club's leadership, Maresca responded, "We are in the same facility, so we speak about various topics. But about the post-Everton press conference, no."

The manager did confirm he would definitely remain at the club for the coming campaign and urged the fans to keep backing the team".

In brighter news, Maresca revealed that injured attackers Liam Delap and Estevao Willian could be back ahead of schedule, possibly available for a fixture against Aston Villa on 27 December.

Analysis: Unresolved Tension

The perceived strain between Maresca and the club's hierarchy remains as an unhealed issue that still cause concern.

While there has been no further escalation of the matter publicly, there has also been no apology offered, creating the disagreement unaddressed.

The mood during these media briefings has become increasingly strained, leading to fears it could undermine what has otherwise been a decent start to the campaign.

Chelsea's on-field situation is strong: they are fourth in the league, have qualified for the League Cup semi-finals, and can secure a favourable European position with strong results in their remaining games.

The prevailing question is whether this behind-the-scenes situation might begin to affect a squad that was just starting to look settled.