Incoming Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has offered a measured take on the club’s Champions League ambitions, stressing that missing out on a top-four finish would not be a failure when viewed in context.
“Compared to the last two years, it is not a failure,” Maresca said. “How many times in the last two years have Chelsea been in the UCL? Zero.”
Maresca highlighted Chelsea’s consistent presence in the Champions League spots throughout the season as a sign of real progress.
“Is it an improvement or not? It’s already an improvement because we have spent all season there,” he added. “Now, we are going to try our best to finish there, no doubt. We want to finish there, no doubt. We are happy to finish there? Yes. Is it enough? No, because we want to compete for titles.”
The Italian insists Chelsea’s upward trajectory is undeniable — even if some critics refuse to see it.
“If you want to see it, you see it. If you don’t want to see it, you don’t see it,” he concluded. “It depends in which way… I see that.”
