Enzo Maresca says ‘proud’ Chelsea keen to get back to the top | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca is convinced Chelsea are on the path back to the top after reaching the final of the Club World Cup.

The Blues secured a place in Sunday’s showpiece in New York with a convincing 2-0 win over Brazilian side Fluminense in sweltering conditions at the MetLife Stadium.

Coming after the team won the Europa Conference League and secured Champions League qualification last month, it has been a highly satisfactory end to Maresca’s first season in charge.

It has been a turbulent few years at Stamford Bridge following the takeover of 2022 but Maresca is pleased with progress on the field during his tenure.

The Italian said: “We are very happy. We are very proud to play in the final on Sunday.

“This is the Club World Cup – the best clubs in the world are here. For us to be there on Sunday is something that we are very proud of.

“The last few years have not been what the club deserves or what the history of this club says.

“This year, luckily, it has gone quite well. The Conference League, we managed to win it, and now we are in this final and we are in the Champions League.

“We are very proud to help the club to get back to where it deserves to be.”

Joao Pedro scored both goals on his first Chelsea start as the Londoners proved too strong for the Brazilian outfit.

The striker, a former Fluminense player, only completed his £60million move from Brighton last week and he seized his chance to shine in the absence of the suspended Liam Delap.

“We are very happy with Joao,” said Maresca. “We know that Joao is a very good player and he has qualities.

“Another thing that is important about Joao is that he was on holiday, so he’s a bit more fresh compared to the rest.

“It is important to be aware of that but when you play every three days in this competition you need a big squad, you need all the players.”

Having reached the final, Chelsea are now guaranteed a payday of around £80million from their involvement in the tournament and have a chance to play for a jackpot exceeding £90million. The exact figure has not been made clear by tournament organiser FIFA.

This is a huge boost to the club coming in what is shaping up to be a busy summer in the transfer market. It also appears particularly timely, coming after they were punished by European governing body UEFA last week for breaches of financial regulations.

Maresca, however, insists the money is not his motivation.

“I am happy for the club but I don’t care,” he said. “When I prepare for a game, I don’t prepare thinking, if we win, we have more money.

“It is something for the club, it is not for us, unfortunately. We already have a clear idea about what we need to improve for next season and hopefully we can have it.”