MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Chelsea was back on the coaching carousel under its American ownership on Thursday after Enzo Maresca left his position as manager following a reported deterioration in his relationship with the Premier League club’s hierarchy.
There was no immediate announcement regarding the successor to Maresca. The BBC and The Athletic reported that Liam Rosenior, who coaches French team Strasbourg — a club in the same ownership group as Chelsea, is a leading contender.
Maresca was midway through his second year in charge, having won the Conference League and Club World Cup in his first season at Chelsea.
However, the team has endured a turbulent last few months — Chelsea has won just one of its last seven Premier League matches to drop to fifth place — while Maresca publicly expressed his unhappiness at a lack of support at the club in a post-match news conference on Dec. 13, when the Italian said he had just experienced his “worst” 48 hours at Chelsea.
“With key objectives still to play for across four competitions including qualification for Champions League football," Chelsea said in a statement, "Enzo and the club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track.”
Chelsea has advanced to the English League Cup semifinals, where it will play Arsenal over two legs, and begins its FA Cup campaign away to second-tier Charlton on Jan. 10. In the Champions League, Chelsea is in 13th place in the 36-team league, two points off the eight automatic qualification spots with two rounds of matches left.
Chelsea is seeking a fifth full-time manager since the takeover of the club by American investors, fronted by Todd Boehly, in May 2022.
In the past 3 1/2 years, Chelsea has spent hundreds of million of pounds (dollars) in what looked from the outside a chaotic bid to sign players to refresh its squad. It now has one of the youngest and most talented squads in the Premier League, with star players including Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Estevao, but managers have struggled to get the players to gel as a team after so many changes.
Out of all the managers to have led Chelsea in that period — and they include Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino, the current coaches of England and the United States, respectively — Maresca appeared to have handled the chaos the best.
Yet he reportedly didn’t feel appreciated given the tough working conditions and, according to the BBC, recently switched agents. A few weeks ago, media reports in England linked Maresca with a possible move to Manchester City — where he briefly worked under Pep Guardiola — should Guardiola eventually leave, though Maresca played the reports down.
Chelsea’s results have taken a downturn since a 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League in November.
The team’s only league win in the past month was over Everton, 2-0. There have been draws with Arsenal, Newcastle and Bournemouth (twice) and losses to Leeds and Aston Villa.
Its next game is at plays second-place Man City on Sunday.
Chelsea said its achievements under Maresca “will remain an important part of the club’s recent history, and we thank him for his contributions to the club.”
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca reacts during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Atalanta and Chelsea, in Bergamo, Italy, on Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File)
FILE - Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca sits on a bench ahead of the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Qarabag and Chelsea in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo, File)
Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca, left, gives instructions to Estevao during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Bournemouth in London, England, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy might have set the tone for the 90th edition of the Masters shortly after he finally won that coveted green jacket. “What are we all going to talk about next year?” he said.
Next year arrives on April 9, and McIlroy will be relieved of questions that constantly dogged him about when he was ever going to conquer Augusta National. Now that burden falls to the 73 players in the field who have yet to win.
Scottie Scheffler remains the betting favorite because he already has won the Masters twice and he has been No. 1 in the world for nearly three straight years. He won in his season debut and has gone quiet by his standards the last month.
Bryson DeChambeau has won his last two tournaments on Saudi-funded LIV Golf, with a 57-man field and limited supply of stars in their prime. The two-time U.S. Open champion played in the final group with McIlroy last year.
Amid what seems like constant change in golf, the Masters brings a degree of normalcy as golf's rite of spring and for many, the true opening week of the sport.
Here is a look at what you need to know leading up to the Masters.
The Masters is April 9-12, keeping its traditional spot on the calendar the first full week in April. Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson again are scheduled to hit the ceremonial tee shots about 7:30 a.m. before Thursday's opening round.
The Par 3 Contest is on Wednesday, April 8, created in 1960 to replace what previously was a clinic the golfers performed. Now it's become a showcase for Masters players young and old, and caddies who are mostly young — the children of players.
The field currently is 91 players, keeping with another Masters tradition. Augusta National prefers fewer than 100 players in the field, and it's been that way dating to 1967.
Tiger Woods will miss the Masters for the second straight year. He already was struggling to get his legs in shape for the tournament when he was arrested March 27 in Florida on a driving while intoxicated charge. No alcohol was found in his system, but drug experts determined he was impaired and Woods was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Woods entered a plea of not guilty Tuesday, and then issued a statement that he was taking an indefinite leave to seek treatment. A Florida judge granted a motion for Woods to seek help at an inpatient facility outside the country.
Phil Mickelson is not playing the Masters for only the third time as a pro. Mickelson says his family is navigating through a personal health matter. He already has missed four of five LIV Golf events because of the situation.
It's the first time since 1994 neither Mickelson nor Tiger Woods are at Augusta National. Back then, Woods was a senior in high school who had yet to become eligible. Mickelson broke a bone in his left leg skiing a few months before the Masters.
The best female amateurs in the world are the first to take the stage. The final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur is Saturday at the home of the Masters, after two rounds determined a 36-hole cut at Champions Retreat.
The options are practically limitless. Thursday and Friday rounds start at 1 p.m. ET on Prime Video, the latest broadcast partner for Augusta National. ESPN will take over at 3 p.m. on the weekday rounds through 7:30 p.m. Then on the weekend, Paramount+ will get started at noon, and CBS will carry live tournament coverage from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
But that's not all.
The Master is offering live video channels on https://www.masters.com/en_US/index.html with a menu that includes featured pairings; live action from the fourth, fifth and sixth holes; Amen Corner (Nos. 11-13); the 15th and 16th holes. Prime Video will have a stats-enhanced stream on Amen Corner.
Other than the blooms peaking a little early, not really. Players long have suspected tweaks here and there without saying so. All that's known is the front of the 17th tee was reduced by 12 yards and the tee marker was relocated to make the scorecard show 450 yards (up from 440 yards).
The buzz is the new Player Services Building located behind the driving range, a three-level structure with an indoor parking garage beneath the members range. It has a gym and recovery room on one level, an enormous locker room on the second level and dining for players, family and support staff on the third level.
And for those who manage to get a ticket, the Masters has a new candy bar in its concession. The name of it: Candy Bar.
Scheffler is the betting favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, which lists the world's No. 1 player at +500. He is followed by McIlroy and DeChambeau (+1000), former Masters champion Jon Rahm (+1200), and then Ludvig Aberg and Xander Schauffele (+1400).
In what ranks among the greatest Masters ever, Rory McIlroy lost a four-shot lead on the back nine, regained the lead, lost it again and wound up in a playoff with Justin Rose. McIlroy won on the first extra hole with a gap wedge to 3 feet for birdie, making him the six player to capture the career Grand Slam.
The most interesting of the 22 newcomers is Chris Gotterup. He's only the third player since World War II to win four times before he plays in his first Masters. Gotterup first qualified by winning the Scottish Open. He won the Sony Open and Phoenix Open earlier this year.
Three players from the top 20 in the world are making their debut — Ben Griffin, who played in his first Ryder Cup last September, and Riviera winner Jacob Bridgeman, who went to nearby Clemson.
Also playing are Kristoffer Reitan of Norway and Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson of Denmark, part of a record eight players from Nordic countries.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
FILE - Scottie Scheffler puts the green Jacket on winner, Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, at the Masters golf tournament, April 13, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
FILE - Dogwood flowers frame the clubhouse during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament on April 5, 2021, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
FILE - The Augusta National clubhouse during a practice round at the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga., April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Rob Carr, File)
