Enzo Maresca has potentially fired a cryptic message at his former club Chelsea in private.
On Friday – the same day that Liam Rosenior announced Enzo Fernandez had been handed a two-game ban – one source told us to take a look at Maresca’s new WhatsApp profile picture. The 46-year-old Italian likes using a quote for his photo on the app, and his newest one reads: ‘Stay true to your principles, and don’t sacrifice quality for profit.’
It is not known exactly when Maresca changed the picture, though it was not this current quote before the international break. It could be a coincidence, but does come at an intriguing time when there has been criticism of Chelsea’s strategy, including from inside the club. Marc Cucurella is among those who have questioned his club’s youth-led approach.
Rosenior has since indicated Chelsea are ready to tweak their process by considering proven players who can help them win in the now, rather than purely signing starlets for the future and who can be sold if necessary, sometimes at a profit.
Players moved on last summer for more than their purchase price included Noni Madueke (signed for £29million, sold for £52m), Renato Veiga (signed for £12m, sold for £26m), and Carney Chukwuemeka (signed for £20m, sold for £24m).
Confidential asked Rosenior to clarify their apparent change in policy at his last press conference – the same one at which he revealed Fernandez’s sanction for speaking out of turn. The Blues boss replied: ‘We’ve had a lot of exciting conversations about how we can move things forward this summer. You’ll see. You’ll see in the actions that we take, rather than the words that I speak now.’
Enzo Maresca appeared to aim a dig at his former employers this week, after Chelsea vice-captain Enzo Fernandez (left) was banned for two games by the club
Liam Rosenior has indicated that Chelsea are ready to move on from signing players that can be sold on for profit, such as Noni Madueke (right)
Indeed, Chelsea’s sceptical fans will believe it when they see it in action, but Rosenior has adopted a strong stance in the last week.
As for Maresca, he is currently taking time to recharge before re-entering football. With a company behind him handling his Instagram account, a selection of pictures were uploaded this week showing him on holiday with family in the Maldives and reading a book called Football and Chess: Tactics, Strategy, Beauty by Adam Wells.
Maresca has declined interview requests from the media since leaving Chelsea on New Year’s Day. He is continuing to be linked with succeeding Pep Guardiola at his old club Manchester City this summer.
Chelsea academy pipeline hiring new head
Some Chelsea supporters have heard of the Kinetic Academy, having become a pipeline of sorts to the Cobham training pitches:
- Calum McFarlane, former academy manager of Kinetic, now Chelsea first-team coach
- Harry Hudson, co-founder of Kinetic, now Chelsea Under 21s head coach
- Dan Hogan, former academy coach for Kinetic, now Chelsea Under 18s head coach
Joe Shields, Chelsea’s co-director of recruitment and talent, also won a reputation for talent spotting while working with Kinetic before moving into professional football on a full-time basis.
Calum McFarlane rose all the way from Kinetic to Chelsea’s first-team dugout
For those who do not know the work or origin of Kinetic, the foundation was founded by Hudson and James Fotheringham in the wake of the 2011 London riots.
As a football and education charity, they have helped more than 12,000 disadvantaged youngsters, with 82 signing for professional clubs. Deji Elerewe, now 22, was among those graduates fortunate enough to forge a career in the game and he was promoted to the Championship with Lincoln City on Monday.
While the wider focus inevitably falls on the Chelsea connection due to those at Cobham who likewise worked with Kinetic once upon a time, the foundation are now seeking a significant hire of their own.
They have started searching for a new head of academy with interviews being conducted this month. The job is listed as a full-time role at 40 hours per week and with a salary of £40,000-£50,000.
Fernandez and the ‘Gaffer’
Strange story alert… You may have seen the video I uploaded to X before Saturday’s 7-0 FA Cup win over Port Vale, showing that the suspended Fernandez was in attendance at Stamford Bridge to support his team-mates as he took his seat on the substitutes’ bench.
What you may not have noticed while Fernandez was shaking hands with fans in the Dugout Club – the pricey seats behind the Blues’ bench – was that the former EastEnders actor Dean Gaffney was among those he greeted.
If you are wondering what relevance this has, here goes: Gaffney reportedly suffered a broken collar bone in 2022 after being hit by a car driven by Wesley Fofana while the I’m a Celebrity contestant was trying to hail a cab on King’s Road in Chelsea, west London.
Fofana was not held responsible for the accident involving his Lamborghini, according to the reports. The £70million defender has since been banned from driving with 50 points on his licence. They did not appear to cross paths again before that victory over Vale as Fofana completed the full 90.
Fernandez and fellow naughty-step dweller Marc Cucurella share a joke before the Port Vale game, when the former was sat behind the dugout for the first match of his ban
Among those greeted by Fernandez was former EastEnders star Dean Gaffney (pictured to the left of Liam Rosenior), who reportedly once suffered a broken collarbone after being hit by a car driven by Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana
Former Blue Johnson slams Rosenior’s ‘egotistical power play’
Rosenior’s response to Fernandez’s flirting with Real Madrid was strong, with Chelsea announcing they had banned their own vice-captain for two games, against Port Vale in the FA Cup and Manchester City in the Premier League.
Rosenior will confirm at his press conference this Friday whether Fernandez will still miss the visit of City after their continued talks. The initial response to the news was split, with Glen Johnson, Chelsea’s former right back, among those who thought Rosenior had made a mistake.
‘There are bust-ups in football, left, right and centre, that people never hear about because the issues are kept in-house,’ Johnson told Confidential, speaking via the football slot provider CasinoWizard. ‘As an outsider looking in, it looks clear that Rosenior is trying to deliver a public message. He’s saying, “Look, I am not taking any s***”.
‘Which for me is a bit egotistical. You could have easily just not picked him and said he is injured or something or given him a big fine. You can still let the squad know that you aren’t going to take any s***. But you don’t have to show the whole world you are the manager and I am going to do this.
‘If he loses this game (against City at home) and misses out on Champions League qualification, then it’s bonkers because (Fernandez) is a key player for them. It’s just a power play.’
Rosenior said last week that Fernandez will not be stripped of his spot in Chelsea’s leadership group, though we will need to wait to see whether he wears the armband again, or if someone such as Moises Caicedo is handed it the next time he features.
Glen Johnson (second right) was one of the first Abramovich-era signings back in 2003 and went on to play 72 times for Chelsea, scoring four goals, before joining Portsmouth
Brighton banking with Barco
If Chelsea bring in Valentin Barco from their sister club Strasbourg this summer, more money will be due to Brighton. That is owing to a sell-on clause which we understand is worth 10 per cent of the 21-year-old Argentinian’s next transfer fee.
Strasbourg signed Barco from the Seagulls last summer for £8.7m, and then-Brighton technical director David Weir said at the time: ‘This is a move that suits all parties, and we wish Valentin the best of luck for the future.’
Weir then left Brighton in September 2025, and Confidential revealed how we spied the 55-year-old sitting among the Chelsea owners and directors at an away game at Old Trafford. A month after leaving Brighton, Weir was confirmed as the new sporting director of Strasbourg.
Valentin Barco (right) has won two caps for Argentina, scoring in last week’s 5-0 thumping of Zambia as he presses his case to go to the World Cup
Good news for Chelsea and England
Reece James is on course to return for Chelsea before the end of this season, which would be a boost for Thomas Tuchel and England. The 26-year-old has been sidelined since last month’s loss to Newcastle when he picked up another hamstring problem.
Rosenior does not like placing timeframes on when players will return, but it is believed James is in line to feature again for Chelsea in 2025-26, and Levi Colwill could likewise come back from his ACL horror before the close of this campaign, barring any setbacks. Colwill is now training fully at Cobham and building up his fitness.
All eyes on the top five
It is now confirmed that the Premier League will get five places in next season’s Champions League after Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Sporting CP in Lisbon – ex-Chelsea man Kai Havertz with the winner – sealed a European Performance Spot for England for the second successive campaign.
This is decidedly good news for the Blues, who are just a point behind fifth-placed Liverpool but six behind Aston Villa in the top four, with seven matches to play.
