Chelsea advanced to the last eight of the FIFA Club World Cup over the weekend with a drama-filled win over Benfica, boosting their chances of lifting the trophy in the United States.
The 4-1 victory over the Portuguese side included a two-hour lightning delay and extra time, but it saw Enzo Maresca's team book a date with Palmeiras on Saturday in the competition's quarter-final.
"Absolutely, and why not?" he said when asked if they are potential winners of the competition.
"They should think that as well. Clearly, they did well in getting to the Champions League, winning the Conference League as well.
"They've got a very young team. That's the only thing I would say. I look at the team and think, wow. And I get it, they've been around for years, some of the likes of Caicedo and Fernandez, but they're 23 and 24, and Lavia, 21, Palmer, 23, Delap, 22.
"They've still got three or four years before they get to their best, so you can see the thinking behind it, but they've just got to get through this period.
"However, I still think they've got good enough players, and no doubt, one-on-one, they should believe they can beat anyone.
"There are some good teams still in it, but knockout football is all very different."

One man who's started to shine for Chelsea during the tournament is new signing Liam Delap. The striker, who arrived from Ipswich ahead of the competition has impressed in his early outings for Chelsea and has already got his name on the scoresheet.
Dorigo thinks the 22-year-old and the West Londoners could be a perfect match at this stage in his career.
Adding, "In a struggling team, he was a one-man wrecking ball, wasn't he? He was superb up top, and I think you look at Chelsea as well, and Jackson has got some physical attributes, but I think all round, Delap's probably got a bit more of those physical attributes. I think the likes of Cole Palmer, Neto, and Fernandes can work off maybe in a better way.
"The price, I think, is really good. Thirty million quid is a bit of a bargain, and I think for him, coming to Chelsea, well, he's been at Manchester City, obviously, the pressure wasn't the same, but he's had Palmer there, he's had Maresca there.
"It's a lot of things going in his favour, and a good, young, hungry side that he can grow with.
"I can see why he chose Chelsea, and I can see why Chelsea chose him. It could be the start of a really good match-up."
Watch every match of the 2025 Club World Cup live and free on DAZN. More information and to sign up for a free account here