Will Chelsea face a messy lawsuit while trying to hire Pep's successor? Chelsea warns Manchester City of legal action over 'poaching' Marasca, vowing to "expose the entire departure process"

*This content was translated by AI.

Chelsea is preparing legal action against Manchester City, which is seeking to appoint former manager Enzo Marasca (46) as its new head coach.

The UK's "Telegraph" reported on the 19th (Korea time) that "Chelsea has warned Manchester City, which has selected manager Marasca as its next commander, of legal proceedings."

Manchester City is preparing to part ways with manager Pep Guardiola, who has led the team for a decade, and has identified Marasca, who left Chelsea earlier this season, as its top candidate for the successor role.

The media stated, "Neither club has issued an official statement. However, Chelsea is convinced that Marasca informed the club's leadership that he was negotiating with Manchester City and then left the team. Chelsea plans to file an official protest with the EPL office once Marasca's appointment is confirmed. If this happens, the office will be required to investigate in accordance with regulations."

It further added, "Chelsea intends to claim compensation from Manchester City. At the same time, it is strongly pressuring Manchester City by threatening to expose all details of Marasca's departure process and the terms of their separation. Given the significant impact of Guardiola's departure, Manchester City's official announcement is expected to take some time."

Marasca has remained silent since leaving the team on January 2nd, when Chelsea was sitting in fifth place in the league. Chelsea did not pay Marasca a substantial severance fee. Just before his dismissal, Chelsea managed only one win in seven league matches, and Marasca made headlines by skipping his scheduled press conference immediately after the draw against Bournemouth. Ultimately, Chelsea's leadership decided to dismiss him.

Before falling into a slump, Chelsea was in second place in the league. Dissatisfaction is widespread within Chelsea over Marasca's erratic behavior and sudden departure, which many believe ruined the team's season. With successor Liam Rosenior also failing, Chelsea has now faced its fourth head coach of the season.

In contrast, Manchester City has been steadily preparing for Guardiola's departure. Previously, Manchester City had considered appointing Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, but is now targeting Marasca, who has deep ties with City Football Group. Marasca managed Manchester City's under-23 team during the 2020-2021 season and served as first-team assistant coach to Guardiola during the 2022-2023 season.

After leading Leicester City to a Championship title in the summer of 2024, Marasca joined Chelsea and won consecutive titles in the UEFA Conference League (UECL) and the FIFA Club World Cup in his first year.

However, his relationship with Chelsea's leadership quickly deteriorated. Marasca, who had clashes with the club over the return of injured players, directly criticized the club owner on December 13th following a victory against Everton, calling it "the worst 48 hours of my career." Chelsea viewed this as a deliberate provocation.

Currently, Chelsea secured a 2-1 away victory against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge in London on the 20th, moving up to eighth place with 52 points in the 2025-2026 EPL 37th round. The team has also escaped its seven-match winless slump. Starting next season, Chelsea will be led by a new manager, Xabi Alonso.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.