Error code: %{errorCode}
Maresca: Chelsea’s quiet storm of a leader
- Maresca replaced Mauricio Pochettino as Chelsea coach
- Moises Caicedo among Blues talents who have emerged
- Tosin says it has been 'fantastic' playing for the Italian
Chelsea FC have become synonymous with trophies, having won every piece of silverware on offer in Europe. The Londoners will look to add the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ title on Sunday, when they face Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium outside New York City.
Chelsea are also known for not being afraid to make a coaching change, and the revolving door continued last year despite a late-season run to secure European football.
Under Mauricio Pochettino, the young but talented Blues finished sixth in the Premier League, but both club and coach felt it was best they part ways. After only one campaign with Pochettino in charge, someone else would be tasked with continuing the process of moulding Chelsea’s high-priced signings into a cohesive squad in arguably the world’s most difficult domestic league.
Buy Club World Cup tickets
It would be hyperbole to call Enzo Maresca a miracle worker, but the 45-year-old Italian deserves even exaggerated praise for the job he has done as Blues head coach.
Maresca arrived with much less fanfare than his predecessor, joining Chelsea in July 2024 after leading Leicester City’s promotion to the Premier League. His first season has been a series of highs and lows (as is the case with anyone in charge of the senior team at Stamford Bridge), but the past two months have seen the Blues undergo a collective breakthrough that began with an unexpected run to UEFA Champions League qualification.
Chelsea survived a difficult run-in to earn the last UCL spot by finishing fourth in the Premier League. Their ascent continued in the UEFA Conference League final, where they overwhelmed Real Betis in a 4-1 victory in Wroclaw to become the first club to win all four of UEFA’s major tournaments.
Progress was palpable in the performance of the players. Under Maresca’s watch, Moises Caicedo emerged as one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe, midfielder Enzo Fernandez found consistency on the pitch and embraced a growing leadership role, and centre-back Levi Colwill developed into the trusted anchor of the backline.
While his tactics have gotten the best out of his troops, Maresca has been lauded for his man management skills as well. His calm, quiet demeanor, at least publicly, is a departure from Chelsea’s past fiery leaders like Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel.
“He’s an ex-footballer, so I think his main quality is that he understands the players and how they feel sometimes depending on the situation,” midfielder Romeo Lavia told FIFA before the Club World Cup. “So that's been the key to progress and feel good at times.”
Cole Palmer - the fulcrum of Chelsea’s attack - had been in a funk entering the tournament, not having scored from open play since January. Maresca’s lineup tinkering, which included playing Palmer on both wings and as the No10, freed the England international from his attacking doldrums with an assist and a goal in the the Blues’ last-16 and quarter-final victories.
Watch Club World Cup matches for free on DAZN
“Obviously, he's implemented his philosophy into the club and into the team which we've all bought into, and as you can see we've had some fantastic results and we managed to hit all our achievements for [the] season,” centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo told FIFA last month. “So it's fantastic, and he is a young manager but he's able to do incredible things for us.”
Beating the reigning Champions League holders would be Maresca’s greatest achievement yet with Chelsea. PSG have conceded only once in the tournament (in a 1-0 upset loss against Botafogo in their second group game), and they have prevailed by 4-0 score lines three times, including the demolition of Real Madrid C.F. in Wednesday’s shocking semi-final.
"It is a great achievement. It has been a fantastic season - top four in the Premier League, Conference League and now in the final of this competition,” said Maresca after Chelsea’s 2-0 semi-final win against Fluminense FC. “We are so, so happy. We go game by game. Finally we have the last game of the season and hopefully we can win the tournament."
If he succeeds, Enzo Maresca may differentiate himself from previous Chelsea coaches and extend his tenure on the Blues' bench.
