Enzo Maresca quickly deletes reaction to Chelsea sacking - here's what it said

Enzo Maresca was relieved of his duties at Stamford Bridge on New Year's Day and has reacted to the decision with a post on his official Instagram account.

The ex-Chelsea boss expressed his thoughts and feelings after his 18-month spell in charge came to an end last week, but appears to have had a change of heart.

Maresca posted on social media platform Instagram a 132-word statement expressing gratitude to Chelsea fans and those who supported him throughout his spell at Stamford Bridge.

Enzo Maresca deletes Chelsea farewell post

The post has since been deleted, shortly after it was initially uploaded to the site. The tagline to Maresca's statement may have courted controversy, as it appeared to suggest he had improved the conditions at Chelsea compared to when he arrived in the summer of 2024.

It read: "LEAVE THIS WORLD A LITTLE BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT"

"My journey with Chelsea began with the preliminary rounds of the Conference League," he began. "I leave with the inner peace of leaving a prestigious club like Chelsea where it deserves to be. I want to thank all the Chelsea fans for their support over the last 18 months.

"Support that was crucial to achieving Champions League qualification, winning the Conference League, and winning the Club World Cup. Victories that I will always hold in my heart!

"A special thank you to all the players who have accompanied me on this wonderful journey. I wish everyone who has shared every moment with me every success in this second half of the season and in the future. Thank you, CHELSEA, from me and my family."

Maresca's relationship with the Stamford Bridge hierarchy had broken down by the time of his departure, expressing before a recent fixture that the past 48 hours had been 'the worst' he had experienced whilst employed by the club, due to what is understood to have been a lack of support from his superiors.

The reason for the deletion of Maresca's post is at this point unknown. Since leaving Stamford Bridge, the Italian has been linked with the newly-vacant position at Old Trafford, after Ruben Amorim was sacked on Monday, January 5.