Maresca insists on the first season in Chelsea was ‘improvement’ and not failure

Chelsea chief Enzo Maresca withdrew against the claim that his debut campaign was disappointment, insisting that critics ignore the progresses his team had achieved this season.

The Italian main coach spoke after the victory of his side 2-1 over Fulham in Craven Cottage last weekend-the reciprocal that he pushed Chelsea back to the top five and dived hopes into the return of the Champions League.

Although Nottingham Forest has since regained fifth place, Maresca remains safe in the direction that the team is moving while Chelsea is preparing for a key conflict against Everton.

“Compared to the last two years, (season) is not a failure,” Mareca said.

“How many times in the last two years has Chelsea have been in the Champions League (places)? And this season we have been there for almost the whole season. It’s an improvement or not? It’s already an improvement.”

The recent history of Chelsea under the owners of Todd Boehly was tumultuous, marked by big investments – over billion pounds in transfers – and frequent changes in the team and coaching staff.

The club finished 12th in 2023 and climbed to the sixth last season. This campaign was supposed to stabilize the project, with fewer turns and clearer structures, but the team is currently sitting in the same league position as late last year.

Despite the rush in the middle season in which Chelsea briefly grew second in December, only two points from the first place, their shape soon turned. Despite this, Maresca still believes that a bigger picture shows improvement.

🚨 Update of the Department in front of Everton.

– Chelsea fc (@chelseafc) 25. April 2025

“Compared to the last two years, it is quite clear that there is an improvement,” he added.

“If you want to see it, you see it. If you don’t want to see it, you don’t see it. It depends on how (you look). I see.

“We have an obligation to bring this club where it belongs. The results were there. As a manager, the club, we all have ambitions. I think we are in the right direction and I hope we can be there very quickly.”

Maresca’s connection with Chelsea fans was tense during the rocky patch of results, and the tensions were obvious after Fulham’s victory.

It is significant that he decided not to join the celebrations with fans traveling after the late winner of Pedro Net.

“I can understand (frustration).

“We try to make them happy. I think fans are the same as (December) when they sang that Chelsea returned and showing that they were happy.

“Because we do not win the same number of games as at the beginning, they show that they are not happy. In the way we accepted it when they sang that Chelsea returned, we must accept it now that they are not happy.”