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Jamie Carragher has expressed doubts that Enzo Maresca will remain as Chelsea's head coach into the next season, following the Italian's remarks about feeling unsupported at the club.
After Chelsea clinched a 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday, Maresca disclosed that the subsequent two days had been his "worst 48 hours" at Stamford Bridge. It comes after Wayne Rooney likened the Chelsea boss to Mohamed Salah after his outburst.
Post-Everton match, the former Leicester boss stated: "This is the reason why I praise the players because with so many problems they are doing very well after a complicated week. The last 48 hours has been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because many people didn't support us."
Maresca chose not to expand on his comments during Monday's pre-match press conference ahead of their Carabao Cup face-off with Cardiff. When questioned about his previous statements, the 45 year old simply said he had "nothing to add".
Carragher has now offered his take on the situation, suggesting he doesn't envision Maresca at Chelsea for the start of the 2026/27 season. "Going forward, where can Maresca go that's better than Chelsea? I'm not sure," Carragher shared with Sky Sports.
"Now Chelsea as a club will feel, 'We can go and get another manager.' They could. Could they get someone better than Maresca? Maybe, but when you look at what's gone on at Spurs in the last couple of years, what's gone on at Manchester United in a couple of years, you can easily go and get a manager who is not at that level.
"Maresca can go up against any manager as he's proved. Whether it's Pep Guardiola, Arne Slot, Barcelona, Champions League. He's more than capable tactically and as a top coach."
Carragher continued: "I don't think Maresca is manager of Chelsea next season. I think when you come out and speak on your ownership like that and you start going public, it's a big problem. I don't see him there next season."
Chelsea face Cardiff on Tuesday aiming to book their spot in the Carabao Cup semi-finals for the second time in three seasons, having previously reached the final only to lose to Liverpool at Wembley in 2024.
Previewing the tie, Maresca said: "Football is full of these kind of games where the favourite one, they can lose and they can drop out. These are the worst games for this reason. That's why we need to pay attention. It can be the third semi-final in 18 months, and it's something important.
"To have the winning mentality, you need to win games. Otherwise the players don't believe you. Since day one, we are trying to win games, and tomorrow is another chance to be there in another semi-final, no matter the competition. It's an important moment for the players, for the fans, for the club, for everyone."
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