Chelsea say that Enzo Maresca will pay them compensation now he has been confirmed as Manchester City‘s new head coach.
Former Blues manager Maresca, 46, has signed a three-year deal at City and succeeds Pep Guardiola, who stepped down in May after a trophy-laden 10 years in charge.
The appointment was held up by talks between Chelsea and City over a compensation package, featuring an undisclosed fee for the Italian. One source has told BBC Sport that Manchester City are paying Chelsea around £17m.
That compensation package is separate to the one the Blues say they have agreed with Maresca and BBC Sport is yet to verify the details.
The Italian left Chelsea in January, following a run of one win in seven Premier League matches.
Chelsea’s statement at the time suggested the decision was mutual, and that both Maresca and the board were in agreement that “a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track”.
However, Maresca has now confirmed that he handed in his resignation at Stamford Bridge and acknowledged that it “opened a path” for him to join City.
In a statement, Chelsea, who described Maresca’s resignation as a “decision not to continue fulfilling his responsibilities”, said they have reached a confidential agreement with the Italian over compensation due to be paid to the club.
Maresca, who spent a season as Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City during the 2022-23 Treble-winning season, has apologised to Chelsea for the manner in which he left the club.
“The decision was only mine,” Maresca wrote on Instagram.
“I recognise that my departure from Chelsea in the middle of the season caused disruption for the club and I apologise for that. It was neither my intention nor my wish.”