Chelsea are preparing to lodge a legal complaint against Manchester City over the alleged approach for former manager Enzo Maresca. The Italian is a leading candidate to replace Pep Guardiola, who is set to leave the Etihad after a decade in charge.
Maresca departed Chelsea on New Year's Day by mutual consent after it was alleged he had discussed the possibility of replacing Guardiola with City. Manchester City have strongly denied any such discussions while Maresca was employed by Chelsea.
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea will seek compensation from City, citing the terms of Maresca's exit and the threat of disclosing events leading up to his departure. The Blues would need to bring a complaint to the Premier League for action to be taken.
Maresca had previously guided Chelsea to Club World Cup glory but a run of one win in seven Premier League matches, coupled with clashes over transfers, led to his exit. He did not conduct post-match obligations after a draw with Bournemouth on December 30, and his departure followed days later.
Guardiola praised Maresca after his exit, saying: 'All I can say is that from my point of view Chelsea have lost an incredible manager and person.' Guardiola is expected to leave City after matches against Bournemouth and Aston Villa, with the club eyeing a final Premier League title.
