“Chelsea board are drunk”, “He will flop” - Rival fans mock Chelsea as they reportedly agree contract with new coach

Fans of Chelsea's rival teams took to X (formerly Twitter) to poke fun at the Blues for their reported new managerial signing. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the west London side are close to an agreement to make current Leicester City coach Enzo Maresca their new manager.

One fan criticised the Blues board for their decision, writing:

"Chelsea board are drunk."

While another predicted a quick downfall for Maresca, tweeting:

"He will flop badly. Bookmark this."

Here are some fan reactions:

"Such a huge downgrade for Chelsea. They’ll be in the relegation battle next season," tweeted a fan.

"This Chelsea banter era is hitting like crack," added another.

The Blues shocked many in the football world when they announced their decision to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino at the end of the season. The Argentinian tactician spent just a single season in charge. While they had a difficult start to the campaign, finding themselves in the bottom half of the Premier League table, they found their groove later, bagging five wins on the trot to end the season in sixth place.

They also played in the final of the Carabao Cup, losing to Liverpool, while falling to Manchester City in the semis of the FA Cup.

Maresca finished a playing career spanning almost two decades back in 2017 and went on to join Manchester City's coaching staff back in 2020. He eventually became the head coach of Serie A side Parma before taking up the Foxes job in the summer of 2023. He led the team back to the Premier League, winning the EFL Championship.

Eden Hazard makes playful suggestion for next Chelsea boss

Hazard referred to Fabregas when asked about the vacancy.

Former Chelsea star Eden Hazard jokingly suggested ex-teammate Cesc Fabregas as a candidate to take over the club's managerial duties. Hazard referred to the Spaniard in jest, saying (via talkSPORT):

“I also have my friend in Como, he can be the first manager.”

A host of options have been linked to take over at Stamford Bridge following Mauricio Pochettino's exit. Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna, Leicester City's Enzo Maresca, Brentford's Thomas Frank, and Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi have all been mentioned as candidates.

Fabregas served as interim manager for Serie B side Como for a month before taking up a role as an assistant coach. They secured promotion to the top division after the former midfielder was promoted to the first team from the youth side's coaching staff.