Xavi increasingly likely to replace Enzo Maresca at Chelsea after major news in last 24 hours
Xavi could be about to take Enzo Maresca’s job at Chelsea in the coming weeks.
The Blues are currently sitting fifth in the Premier League after their final game of 2025, and recent results have been a major source of frustration at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea drew 2-2 with Bournemouth on home turf on Tuesday night, having previously fallen to defeat in West London against Aston Villa at the weekend.
The odds for Maresca to be sacked by Chelsea have been slashed in the aftermath of those disappointing results, and he is now among the favourites to become the next managerial casualty in the top flight.
The Italian’s future is looking increasingly bleak at the turn of the year, and Xavi could be waiting in the wings to take over imminently.
Xavi sees odds slashed to take over at Chelsea
Xavi has emerged as an early favourite for the Chelsea job in the event that Maresca is shown the door, and it now looks increasingly likely that he could be about to take the reins at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian’s ascension in the last 24 hours to become a serious candidate for the Premier League’s next sacking has coincided with the odds of Xavi taking over being cut once again.
The 45-year-old was priced at odds of 5/1 by one major bookmaker to step into the dugout at Chelsea earlier this week, and that same company have now slashed his odds to 4/1.
Xavi has been out of work since he was sacked by Barcelona back in 2024, but that could soon be about to change following the developments regarding Maresca’s future.
Fulham boss Marco Silva and Strasbourg chief Liam Rosenior are the Spaniard’s nearest challengers at present, as they are priced at odds of 6/1 and 7/1 respectively.
How strong is Xavi’s managerial record?
Xavi was a Barcelona icon during his playing career, but his success in the centre of the Blaugrana’s midfield hasn’t quite translated across into his first managerial opportunities.
The Spaniard took charge of Qatari outfit Al Sadd after concluding his playing career with the team in 2019, and notched a win percentage of over 68 per cent across his 96 games in the dugout.
| Club | Games | W | D | L | Win % |
| Barcelona | 143 | 91 | 23 | 29 | 63.64% |
| Al Sadd | 96 | 66 | 13 | 17 | 68.75% |
He was then whisked off to the Nou Camp in November 2021, as Barcelona paid his release clause, but he didn’t enjoy the expected level of success with his former club.
Xavi led Barcelona to the La Liga title in the 2022-23 campaign, but was dismissed at the end of the following season.
He left the Spanish giants with a win percentage of just over 63 per cent, which is not overly successful for a club that is expected to win almost every game on the domestic calendar.
While the Chelsea job doesn’t quite carry the same magnitude as his last role, there would be plenty of worldwide scrutiny once again if he were to take over from Maresca.
Todd Boehly hasn’t been shy about how his decisions will be perceived since his takeover, but this is one that would certainly raise eyebrows if Xavi were to be appointed.