When Passion Meets Protocol: Maresca’s Fireworks Cost Chelsea a Match
15 October 2025
What happened
The English Football Association has officially suspended Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s head coach, for one match and fined him £8,000 after he admitted misconduct during the 2-1 victory over Liverpool.
His wild celebration after Chelsea’s stoppage-time winner by Estevao triggered a furious reaction along the sideline at Stamford Bridge, earning him a second yellow card and a red card from referee Anthony Taylor.
The FA stated that Maresca acted in a manner deemed inappropriate, using words and/or behaviors that were abusive or insulting, resulting in his dismissal around the 96th minute.
The governing body noted that Maresca acknowledged the charge after the incident before the standard punishment was imposed.
As a result, Maresca will miss Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League away fixture against Nottingham Forest this weekend.
Chelsea currently sit seventh in the table on 11 points, five points behind leaders Arsenal.
MaResca’s reaction and career context
Maressca has said he does not regret the red card, insisting emotions overwhelmed him in the moment and that football often runs on passion and instinct rather than careful calculation.
According to the British tabloid Mirror, the red card came after an exuberant late celebration following Estevao’s late winner, having previously picked up a first booking in the match, which led to his suspension for the forthcoming game against Nottingham Forest.
Speaking at the Trento Sports Festival, Maresca said the moment was one of intense feeling, noting it was his second season with Chelsea and that they had finally won at home in the dying minutes.
On the sending off, he added that football is often driven by passion and impulse and that the decision felt deserved in the heat of the moment.
A rising coach, Maresca began his playing career with Cagliari before moving to West Bromwich Albion in 1998, then crossing to Juventus in 2000. He spent time on loan at Bologna and Pisa, before starring for Fiorentina in 2004 and Sevilla from 2005 onward.
In Seville, he formed a key part of a golden era under coach Juande Ramos, helping the club win the UEFA Cup in 2006 and 2007 and the UEFA Super Cup in 2006.
His later spells included stints at Olympiacos, Málaga, Sampdoria and Verona, before retiring in 2017. He transitioned quickly into coaching, joining Manchester City’s staff under Pep Guardiola and later guiding City’s under-23s, before taking Parma in Serie B in 2021-22 and returning to Guardiola’s setup as an assistant. In 2023 he took charge of Leicester City, winning the Championship and earning promotion back to the Premier League, before Chelsea appointed him in 2024 to lead a new project built on possession and organization from the back.
