The Italian parted ways with Chelsea today, just six months after winning both the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup titles, along with qualification for this season's Champions League.
Reporting on the split, BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella has revealed: "Friction has been brewing for months.
"Enzo Maresca had hoped to raise his profile following the Blues' successes through opportunities outside the club. He was planning to publish a book before being blocked, and spoke at Il Festival dello Sport - an event in Italy organised by La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper - without the club's permission.
"He also made public that he disagreed with the club not signing a central defender after Levi Colwill injured his anterior cruciate ligament in pre-season. The club's hierarchy explained that doing so could prompt academy prospect Josh Acheampong to request a transfer, which ultimately led Maresca to back down.
"The former Leicester manager has also switched agents - from the Wasserman agency to Jorge Mendes - and has been talked of as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, which Maresca has dismissed.
"In addition, he has increasingly avoided wearing club tracksuits - opting instead for his own clothing."
Unfair expectations
Expanding on Maresca's relationship with club directors, Kinsella revealed he felt expectations were unrealistic given the make-up of his squad this season - both inside the board room and also in the stands.
He also said, "Enzo Maresca, for his part, believed the pressure on him was unfair given what he felt were difficult working conditions, and that a line had been crossed in terms of attempts to influence his team selection.
"While he was not angry about overseeing a young squad, he felt supporters' expectations needed to be managed regarding what was achievable - especially given key injuries to Colwill and attacker Cole Palmer.
"Chelsea initially intended to assess his position at the end of the season if results improved, but Maresca's unhappiness was a factor in them parting ways sooner."