'When I Heard The News...': Pedro Neto Reveals Chelsea Dressing Room's Reaction To Manager Enzo Maresca’s Departure

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca departed from Stamford Bridge on January 1, 2026, after their draw against Bournemouth in the Premier League. The manager did not look too thrilled with the draw on Tuesday and even opted out of speaking to media in the post match conference.

This was followed by a tense breakdown in relationship with the Chelsea hierarchy and Maresca as per reports, which eventually resulted in the manager's departure. This came as a shock to many including the the Chelsea players. Portuguese international Pedro Neto, in an recent interview with Sky Sports, revealed how the Blues' dressing room reacted to the news.

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Pedro Neto Shares Reaction To Enzo Maresca's Departure

The Blues' have had quite a start to 2026 as they once again find themselves looking for a new manager with the departure of Enzo Maresca. Neto shared that following the match against Bournemouth, they had no idea things would turn out this way and that the news of Maresca's departure came as a surprise to everyone.

Pedro Neto shared, "After the game [against Bournemouth] of course we wanted to win. I think we had a little bit, the idea, of course we didn't have the idea, but it was like, we were all upset. And then when I heard the news, to be honest in the beginning, I was a little bit surprised, because the manager did very good for us. He did an unbelievable season last year. He was doing a good season this year."

He further added, "Of course, we wanted to do better, and we always want to do better. But this is football, you know? Of course, for me, I would be a little bit sad because it was the manager that helped me a lot in these years. He managed myself. He helped me a lot, I learned a lot with him."

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Chelsea To Face Tough Test Against Manchester City

The Blues are set tp meet Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday. Chelsea would need to try and refocus on the task at hand despite the ongoing tensions behind the scenes. Additionally, interim manager Calum McFarlane insisted that the players were focused on their upcoming match and would be hoping for a winning start to 2026.