CHELSEA COULD NOW APPOINT SHOCK MANAGER WITH ENZO MARESCA EXPECTED TO LEAVE

Enzo Maresca is ‘highly likely’ to leave Chelsea on Thursday (January 1) after a ‘complete breakdown in his relationship with the club’. This is according to a shock report from The Guardian, who understand that emergency talks are being held over the Italian manager’s position at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca is no longer expected to be in charge for Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League clash against Manchester City on Sunday. Sources have indicated to The Guardian that Maresca wants to leave the Blues, although it’s unclear if he is willing to walk away without a payoff.

Chelsea currently sit fifth in the Premier League table, 15 points behind leaders Arsenal, but December’s results have put Maresca under increased pressure. The west London outfit have won just one of the previous seven league matches.

Maresca, 45, was appointed by Chelsea in June 2024, replacing Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge. The former Italy Under-21 international, who played for the likes of West Brom, Juventus, Fiorentina and Sevilla during his playing career got the Chelsea job after guiding Leicester City to the Championship title.

While Maresca has enjoyed success at Chelsea - winning the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup titles - it appears the breakdown in relations between him and the club’s hierarchy will lead to his imminent departure.

Early Contenders to Replace Maresca at Chelsea

It’s currently unclear who will replace Maresca if the Italian does leave, although The Guardian say that ‘one solution’ would be to appoint Liam Rosenior - the current Strasbourg head coach.

The 41-year-old Englishman, who spent most of his professional playing career with Hull City before managing the Tigers between 2022-2024, may jump at the opportunity to coach one of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.

Rosenior has impressed at Strasbourg, who are Chelsea’s partner club, although his potential appointment will depend on whether his current employers are able to find a quality replacement now.

Other names that currently among the bookmakers’ favourites include Como boss Cesc Fabregas, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner and Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez.

In any case, it feels increasingly likely that Chelsea will now be on the hunt for their fifth permanent manager since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover of the club in 2022.

- Rob Swan

BARCELONA COACH HANS FLICK TARGETS MORE DIRECT STYLE

 New Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he respects the club's traditional passing style but he also wants to inject a more direct approach focused on scoring.

Barça appointed the former Germany and Bayern Munich manager as head coach on a two-year contract in May after sacking Xavi Hernandez, tasking him with turning around the club's fortunes following their trophyless run last season.

"Here the tradition is to play with passing, but I also want them to go straight to the goal," Flick told Barca ONE in an interview released on Monday.

"They should focus a bit more on scoring. I don't think my style has any major changes.

"I'm looking for the same thing, to press high up, and to play in the opponent's midfield. But, at the end of the day, everything is about winning games."

Barça face Manchester City in Florida on July 30 before starting their LaLiga campaign against Valencia on Aug. 17.

- Reuters 

PSG FAVOURITES TO REACH SEMIFINALS DESPITE BARCELONA WIN - XAVI

Xavi is seeking to reach his first Champions League semifinal as a coach. FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images

 Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said Paris Saint-Germain remain favourites to win the teams' Champions League quarterfinal tie, despite his side winning Wednesday's first leg 3-2 in the French capital.

Raphinha scored twice and substitute Andreas Christensen headed the winner the 77th minute at the Parc des Princes to give Barcelona the edge heading back to Spain for the second leg next week.

"PSG are still the favourites," Xavi said in his postgame news conference. "It will be very difficult to win in Barcelona.

"Today we played well because we were united defensively. I'm very proud, everything worked well. We have to improve our concentration in the first minutes of the second half. We managed to mature and recover from a match that became very difficult."

Barcelona, who beat Napoli in the round of 16, are seeking to reach their first Champions League semifinal since 2019 following back-to-back group-stage exits.

"I hope the ghosts have died," Xavi added. "We've gone through difficult years in the Champions League recently. This win shows that Barça are still alive."

PSG looked to have recovered from Raphinha's opener when Ousmane Dembélé equalised in the 48th minute against his former club. Three minutes later midfielder Vitinha put PSG ahead from Fabián Ruiz's pass in a pulsating match where Dembélé also hit the left post moments before Christensen's winner.

"We are not happy with the defeat," PSG manager Luis Enrique, who won the treble with Barcelona in 2015, said. "The second leg will be like a final now, it's our objective. I have no doubt that we can qualify. I congratulate Barcelona for their win and their performance.

"We could have done better and we will have to improve some things for the second leg but I'm still satisfied by what I saw tonight. We controlled well our emotions I thought but the game swung on details. The manager is also responsible for the results. I chose players because I thought they would be best for this game but it didn't work. We changed our plans at half-time and we scored two goals."

Luis Enrique refused to comment on Kylian Mbappé's performance, as the France captain was shackled by Barcelona's defence and had little impact on the game.

However, he said that Barça were not necessarily favourites even with a win in hand and the home field advantage.

"We are going to go to Barcelona to fight a war," he said.

"I never see the opposition as favourites, whoever they are. In top-level competition, that's how I see it. And I will continue to believe that we will go to Barcelona to win the game.

"I repeat. We could have won this game. [Football] is about small details and let's hope that the small details go our way in the second leg."

Information from ESPN's Julien Laurens, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

- ESPN News Services

SPANISH MIDFIELDER ROMEU RETURNS TO BARCELONA ON THREE-YEAR DEAL

Reuters 

Barcelona has re-signed former academy player Oriol Romeu from Girona with the midfielder signing a three-year deal, the LaLiga champions said on Wednesday.

Romeu came through Barca's youth academy and made his senior team debut in 2010 before moving to Chelsea a year later. The 31-year-old also had loan spells at Valencia and Stuttgart before spending seven years at Southampton.

He spent a year at Girona where he was a crucial figure clocking up more than 3,000 minutes to guide them to 10th before making his return to Barca, with 20-year-old midfielder Pablo Torre moving the other way on loan.