![\"Chelsea](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2267164015.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646\")
\t<\/div>Marc Cucurella has criticised Chelsea\u2019s board for allowing Enzo Maresca to leave and says Arsenal are being \u2018rewarded\u2019 for the trust they showed in Mikel Arteta.<\/p>\n
Maresca left Stamford Bridge at the start of January, less than six months after winning the Club World Cup at the end of his first season at Chelsea.<\/p>\n
The Italian guided Chelsea to a fourth-place finish last season and won the Conference League, but a poor run of form in December and conflicts with his bosses led to his exit.<\/p>\n
Chelsea enjoyed a promising start under Maresca\u2019s replacement Liam Rosenior but the Blues have struggled since the start of February.<\/p>\n
A Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal sparked a worrying run in which Chelsea were eliminated from the Champions League by PSG and won just one of their last six Premier League games.<\/p>\n
Rosenior is already believed to be under pressure in west London and Cucurella, who has been at Chelsea since 2022, has bemoaned Maresca\u2019s departure, pointing to the success Arsenal look set to enjoy under Arteta, a manager they backed despite some early teething problems.<\/p>\n
\u2018Liam is a very good person and has been great at handling the group, the characters,\u2019 Cucurella told The Athletic<\/a>. \u2018He likes to stay close to\u00a0us\u00a0and his football ideas are good, but we\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0have the time to train them.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tYour football fix\t\t\t<\/h2>\n Metro<\/strong>‘s Head of Sport James Goldman delivers punchy analysis, transfer talk and his take on the week’s biggest stories direct to your inbox every week.<\/p>\n Sign up here, it’s an open goal.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2018We train on (playing in) competitive games, because we play every three days and that leaves you with no time to work on the training ground.<\/p>\n \u2018In this context, it is normal that your plans sometimes\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0work out, and then we go through difficult moments.<\/p>\n \u2018With Enzo Maresca in charge, we were more stable, because we worked together for 18 months. If you look at our first pre-season with him, there were doubts.<\/p>\n \u2018You need a process for every player to understand what we need to do. In our last months with Maresca, we played\u00a0almost by\u00a0heart. If we changed the system, we knew what we had to do. You need that time.<\/p>\n \u2018Look at Arsenal now, who are fighting for every trophy.\u00a0They\u2019ve\u00a0been with (Mikel) Arteta for almost seven\u00a0years\u00a0and they have not won much. But that trust in the project gives rewards.\u2019<\/p>\n Cucurella added: \u2018We knew what Maresca wanted from us. Winning a title like the Club World Cup also helps, strengthens the bond, and you create great relationships during the celebrations.<\/p>\n \u2018When a manager gives you that confidence and offers you a platform to fight for titles,\u00a0you\u2019d\u00a0die for him.<\/p>\n \u2018The moment Maresca left, it had\u00a0a big impact\u00a0on us. These are decisions taken by the club. If you asked me, I would not have made this decision.<\/p>\n \u2018To make a change like that, the best thing is to wait until the end of the season. You would give everyone, the players and the new manager, time to get ready, have a full pre-season\u2026<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tChelsea 2025-26 remaining fixtures\t\t\t<\/h2>\n Chelsea vs Port Vale, April 4<\/strong><\/p>\n Chelsea vs Man City, April 12<\/p>\n Chelsea vs Man Utd, April 18<\/strong><\/p>\n Brighton vs Chelsea, April 26<\/p>\n Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest, May 4<\/strong><\/p>\n Liverpool vs Chelsea, May 9<\/p>\n Chelsea vs Tottenham, May 17<\/strong><\/p>\n Sunderland vs Chelsea, May 24<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2018The instability around the club comes from this,\u00a0in a nutshell. We had a caretaker first, then a new manager, with\u00a0new ideas\u00a0and no time to work on them. It is what it is.\u2019<\/p>\n Cucurella has also criticised Chelsea\u2019s transfer policy which has seen a number of talented but inexperienced players arrive at Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n \u2018I understand this is part of the club\u2019s policy, and that they want to take this direction \u2013 signing young players and looking to the future,\u2019 Cucurella said.<\/p>\n \u2018But, for all of us who are still here and want to win\u00a0big things, moments like this make you feel discouraged. We have a good core of players. The foundations are there.<\/p>\n \u2018But to fight for major trophies such as the Premier League or the Champions League, you need more. Signing young players only might complicate achieving those goals.<\/p>\n \u2018You need time as well, and I know the young players are the ones that will have the experience in the future. But you need to find the balance between both worlds.\u2019<\/p>\n Chelsea\u2019s recent dip has left them sixth in the Premier League, six points outside the top-four places. The Blues are in FA Cup action this weekend, facing League One strugglers Port Vale for a place in the semi-finals.<\/p>\n For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on \n
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\t<\/div>![\"Chelsea](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2267173585.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=594\")
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