Welcome to 2026; some things are different but plenty remains the same - including the bodge-job happenings at Stamford Bridge, where another manager has fallen on his sword after clashing with the board.
Enzo Maresca has left the Blues by mutual consent, it has reported, after a disastrous December period that saw them win just one in seven Premier League matches.
But even if results were going rosy, the Italian's time in west London was always a ticking time bomb after clashes with members of the board.
That fallout became public knowledge after a particularly strange post-match press conference following Chelsea's 2-0 win over Everton on December 13 - the only time Maresca saw his side win a league match last month.
The 45-year-old revealed it was his "worst 48 hours" at the club and refused to elaborate but the not-so-subtle message was read as a barb at the Chelsea hierarchy.
And so that kickstarted a series of events that saw Maresca axed while many might be nursing hangovers as we enter 2026. New year? Same old Chelsea.
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Since BlueCo took over Chelsea in 2022, there were promises that the club would become a global super-team, leading the way in success and player progression, selling this so-called 'project' to fans and players alike.
However, now as we enter their fourth year, it has become very evident that any talk of a project is absolute nonsense.
Chairman Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and the two sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley are more at fault for the catastrophe that is Chelsea Football Club than Maresca.
It must be remembered that Maresca was very much 'their' man. He was their ideal fit for a head coach who did what his higher-uppers asked and slotted into their dumbfounded BlueCo system.
That was the message told to reporters after Mauricio Pochettino was sacked, another coach that they deemed the right fit before he suddenly wasn't.
And that is not forgetting Graham Potter, whose appointment at Stamford Bridge feels so long ago now it is almost consigned to myth.
He was BlueCo's absolute priority choice out of everyone possible, who they sacked Champions League-winning manager Thomas Tuchel. He lasted eight months. Red flag.
One thing all these coaches had in common? Problems with the board. Their reeking arrogance means they cannot comprehend a world where the manager might have a better idea of what is best for the club than themselves.
"Please stop signing teenagers, we need some experience in the squad!" What? Get out.
"Our defence is shambolic, maybe sign a half-decent defender!" Excuse me? Sacked.
It now looks likely that Strasbourg coach Liam Rosenior is being primed for the hotseat, parachuted in from Chelsea's 'sister' club.
Hardly the most inspiring choice, if his appointment goes through it means one thing; nothing will change at Chelsea, the club hierarchy have learned zilch and we will likely be in the same place in a year's time.
Roll on 2027!
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