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Enzo Maresca insists he is under no pressure to deliver Champions League football at Chelsea this season – but admits the club’s success has altered their short-term objectives.
Chelsea face Manchester United tomorrow night knowing wins from their final two games will mean they will play among Europe’s elite next term.
It has been a good first season for Maresca at Stamford Bridge and, while there are still question marks around his laboured playing style, a top-five finish would keep the critics quiet.
We host Man United in our final home match of the season. 👊 pic.twitter.com/XjgPtyOpIc
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 13, 2025
We’re ahead of schedule, says Maresca
The Italian says the club are ahead of schedule and reports yesterday suggested he would remain in charge even if Champions League football eluded them.
He said: “Since day one I said that the target the club gives to me was in two years we want to play in the Champions League. Okay? Since day one.
“But when you arrive to March and you are in all of the season in the top four or top five, it’s natural that the target is to finish in the Champions League.
“So the reason why it changed from the beginning is because we arrived to March – the international break – and we were there all season. So it is normal then that the target becomes to finish in the top four or five.
“I said many times already that we have had a good season, that can become a very good season if we are able to finish top five and also if we are able to win the Conference League.”
Although Chelsea’s form has tailed off in recent weeks, Maresca is adamant he’d have signed up for the position they currently find themselves in.
“Absolutely. Probably we would have been happy,” he added. “We had moments, for instance in the first five or six months, where we were second and third, so even better. Now we are there [fifth] and we are going to try to finish well.”
Maresca has to solve striker issue
Chelsea face a United side likely to be much changed with their Europa League final against Tottenham scheduled for next Wednesday without a recognised centre forward following Nicolas Jackson’s red card at Newcastle last week.
Marc Guiu and Christopher Nkunku are also unavailable, meaning Maresca has a problem to solve.
“We are working on that,” he said. “We don’t have many options. Unfortunately, Marc Guiu is still injured. He has started to train with us but he is not ready to play from the start and we are working on different options for Friday night.”
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