“It’s just the beginning” – Maresca’s comments about new star will get fans very excited | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca is a happy man right now.

His first year at Chelsea had its dodgy moments, but things are trending upwards right now, and getting to the final of the Club World Cup is a great way to cap it off.

Speaking to the press after last night’s semi final win against Fluminense, the coach explained how delighted he was with his players:

“We are very happy and very proud to play the final. The reason why is that this is the Club World Cup, the best clubs in the world are here. So for us to be there [in the final] on Sunday is something we have to be proud and happy about,” Maresca explained.

Enzo Maresca on Chelsea handling the heat

Christopher Nkunku battles for possession against Fluminense.(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The conditions through this tournament have been very difficult, despite the “cooling breaks” during games, and the coach was delighted with how his players had coped:

“In some moments, we were able to maintain a high tempo; it was not possible to maintain for 95 minutes because of the weather. But they handled it in a fantastic way.”

Joao Pedro gets the praise for superb debut double

The man of the hour was, of course, Joao Pedro after a debut double, and Maresca took the chance to praise the striker:

“We knew against a low block that Joao was going to help us because he has quality in the last third against teams that defend deep. He showed today how good he is, but it’s just the beginning,” Maresca raved.

‘We knew already how good Joao is. Today, he was playing a little deep, and we know how good he is at dropping and linking [with his team-mates]. He is very good technically in small spaces, and that’s why we decided to bring him here.’