The Blues were sitting in fifth spot in the table at the time of the Italian's departure, with Maresca paying the price for a poor run of form, which included just two wins in the last 10 games in all competitions and none in the last four.

The 45-year-old has since been replaced by Liam Rosenior at Chelsea, with the former Strasbourg coach being handed a deal through til the summer of 2031.

Maresca's exit came after he begun to question those above him at the club, with Chelsea deciding to ultimately move on from the former Leicester coach rather than trying to work through the problems.

And writing on Instagram on Tuesday, Maresca, who spent just over 18 months at Stamford Bridge, started by saying: "LEAVE THIS WORLD A LITTLE BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT".

He then added: "My journey with Chelsea began with the preliminary rounds of the Conference League.

"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."

Rosenior, meanwhile, is looking to make an immediate impression after being trusted to steer the Chelsea ship, despite only being 41 years of age and beginning his managerial career just over three years ago.

Following his appointment, Rosenior said: "I am extremely humbled and honoured. This is a club with a unique spirit and a proud history of winning trophies.

"I am excited to work with this extremely talented group of players and staff, to build strong connections on and off the pitch, and to create an environment where everyone feels united and driven by the same goal.

"There is a real hunger to win, and I will give everything, every single day, to help this team compete and win at the very highest level to make everyone connected and proud to be a part of Chelsea Football Club."

He is expected to take charge of his first game on Saturday, away to Charlton in the FA Cup third round, with interim chief Callum McFarlane once again overseeing Wednesday night's west London derby at Fulham.

Raheem Sterling is in no hurry to finalise a move away from Chelsea, and he will consider his options as January continues, but a move to Newcastle United is not on the horizon, with two other Premier League sides leading the charge.

Elsewhere, one of Chelsea's best players is ready to join Real Madrid in 2026 following the departure of Enzo Maresca as the manager, according to a speculative report in Spain, but TEAMtalk analyses why a transfer to Estadio Bernabeu could happen.

Finally, Chelsea will have to act fast if they are to sign Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes, with sources telling TEAMtalk that Liverpool, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Manchester United are all keen on the French defender.

Leverkusen fully focused on upcoming Supercup clash with Stuttgart