Chelsea are reaching the point in the season where they’re looking ahead to the summer.
They’ve already secured several players who will be coming in in the window, and it’s decision time over the manager too. Speaking on the Athletic’s football podcast, Chelsea writer Simon Johnson was very clear about Enzo Maresca’s future:
“Even in the downturn…. there was concern but nothing too negative towards Maresca. You have to look back at last summer as kind of a significant point to make. Of course Mauricio Pochettino left, his contract was a two plus one contract, and one of the reasons why he left was because they didn’t want to go into the Club World Cup with question marks about whether he was staying or not,” Johnson said.
“Maresca they gave a 5 year contract, like they did Graham Potter. They very much see this season as a two in one season, because the Club World Cup is a bridge to 25/26.”
You can see Johnson speaking in the clip embedded here:
“Never say never, because this is the bonkers football club that has a high turnover of head coaches, but as things stand I don’t think they’re thinking of getting rid of Enzo Maresca. I think he’s seen as having had a positive first season, even though the results over the last few months have been disappointing.”
Maresca here to stay
It’s clear that giving Maresca a long contract was a declaration from those in charge that they were going to stand behind him no matter what, and given things have gone well on many fronts, they’re not about to back out now. Those fans who don’t like the Italian coach’s style are going to have to get used to it, it seems.
The Club World Cup can see him take big steps against top opposition too.
