Enzo Maresca’s first season at Chelsea was a success, with the Italian managing to get the club back into the Champions League.
He also won two trophies, the Club World Cup and Conference League, so Chelsea will want to keep hold of their manager.
However, Maresca has not ruled out returning to Italy one day to take charge of a team there.
If that does happen at some point, there is one head coach Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali are bound to consider.
- READ MORE: Jody Morris’ theory about Enzo Maresca will worry Chelsea fans about the manager’s future
Andoni Iraola ticks BlueCo’s boxes
In a way, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola and Maresca are quite similar managers. Both men are young coaches who want to play a progressive style of football.
Iraola already has Premier League experience, with the 43-year-old doing a fantastic job at the Vitality Stadium, so that makes him an appropriate candidate for the job.
Right now, Bournemouth are fourth in the Premier League table, meaning that they are actually above Maresca’s Chelsea side. It shows just how well the Cherries are performing under Iraola.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  ArsenalArsenal | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 16 |
| 2 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 15 |
| 3 |  TottenhamTottenham | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 14 |
| 4 |  BournemouthBournemouth | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 14 |
| 5 |  Manchester CityManchester City | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 13 |
| 6 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 12 |
| 7 |  ChelseaChelsea | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 11 |
Maresca departing Stamford Bridge is not imminent. He told La Gazzetta dello Sport at the Festival dello Sport when asked about returning to Italy: “Now I’m happy where I am, but you never know the future.”
But BlueCo will be glad to know that there are managers such as Iraola coaching in the game currently. The Spaniard is the kind of coach they have been hiring since they took over Chelsea. Simply put, his age and style of football tick the owners’ boxes.
At the Festival dello Sport, as well as his future, Maresca also discussed Cole Palmer, claiming that the attacking midfielder is the best player that he has ever coached.
Andoni Iraola’s Premier League record last season
Iraola will be pleased with how his first season in England went. Under him, Bournemouth were able to challenge for European football for the majority of the campaign.
In the end, they finished ninth in the table, 10 points behind the final European spot, but it was a really good effort.
In total, Iraola led the Cherries to 15 victories, which included wins against Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United.
| Andoni Iraola’s 2024/25 Premier League record | Total |
| Matches managed | 38 |
| Wins | 15 |
| Draws | 11 |
| Losses | 12 |
| Goals | 58 |
| Goals conceded | 46 |
| Points | 56 |
| Points per match | 1.47 |
At some stage, Iraola will join a top European club. If Maresca leaves Chelsea, it could end up being the Blues.
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