Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has called on fans to trust his leadership, defending his style of play and emphasizing the team’s progress under his stewardship.
The 45-year-old Italian faced jeers from sections of Stamford Bridge during Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Ipswich, in which Chelsea rallied from a poor start to salvage a point.
After the match, Maresca acknowledged the fans’ frustrations but also criticized the negative atmosphere, which he felt had impacted the team’s performance.
“With [the] fans [behind us], we are a better team,” said Maresca. “I completely understand that, as a team, we have to engage our fans. On Sunday, we were not able to do that, especially for those 20 or 25 minutes.”
Chelsea, who had set a pre-season goal of qualifying for the Champions League, currently sit sixth in the Premier League. With a top-five finish now required to secure a Champions League spot, Maresca sought to highlight the club’s progress compared to recent seasons.
“In the last two years, Chelsea has been in the top four zero times. This season, Chelsea was in the top four for most of the year,” he said. “I think the fans have to trust us… because that’s big proof the team is improving and doing the right things.”
Maresca reiterated his commitment to his footballing philosophy, saying, “I am not able to do a different style.” He also expressed ambitions for greater success: “For me, is that enough? No, because I would like to fight for titles, fight for the Premier League and Champions League.”
Chelsea’s next opportunity to make an impression comes in their UEFA Conference League quarter-final second leg against Legia Warsaw, where they hold a 3-0 advantage from the first leg.
Maresca emphasized the importance of competing in European tournaments: “We can reach a European semi-final, which, yes, isn’t the Champions League but is still a European competition. It’s quite clear the direction and style are the right ones.”
Defender Malo Gusto also weighed in on the fans’ reactions, saying, “For sure you hear this on the pitch and at the end you can say to yourself that the fans were not behind us. But we play for Chelsea. We’re all here, we all come to the stadium to support this team.”
