Enzo Maresca asserts that Chelsea will signal their return to prominence if they secure the Conference League title.
The Blues, whose last trophy came in February 2022 with the Club World Cup, are now just one match away from the final.
Should they win the competition, they would become the first club to have won all four major European trophies.
Maresca commented, “It`s the only trophy Chelsea hasn`t won previously, and winning it would make us the first European club to complete the set of major continental titles. That`s a significant achievement for the club.”
“Winning the Conference League would serve as a statement to that effect,” he added.
“Winning a trophy like this allows us to say Chelsea is `back` and, more importantly, it`s a crucial step in building a winning mentality within this team.”
The Conference League is widely considered the third tier of European club football, below Chelsea`s historical standing and ambitions.
Despite this, Chelsea, who have previously triumphed in the Champions League, Europa League, and Super Cup, are portraying participation and potential victory positively to boost fan morale.
Maresca also aims to boost the confidence of the Premier League`s youngest squad, featuring young players like 19-year-old Tyrique George.
A recent 3-1 victory over Premier League champions Liverpool has provided a significant confidence boost for Chelsea.
Following his goal in that match, forward Cole Palmer celebrated his 23rd birthday on Tuesday.
Maresca noted, “Cole had a good game against Liverpool, scoring a goal, and then he celebrated his birthday.”
“We had a training session,” Maresca continued, “I`m not sure if he did anything differently, but he seemed in good spirits.”
Chelsea faces a tight schedule, with less than 72 hours to recover from the second leg of their semi-final against Swedish club Djurgardens before a crucial league match away to Newcastle, a direct competitor for European spots next season.
Referring to previous travel, Maresca said, “Last week, we returned to the UK from Sweden very early in the morning, around 4-5 am, and then played on Sunday.”
“It will be a similar situation this weekend,” he added, “but we will aim to be prepared for both the Conference League match and Sunday`s game.”
Despite holding a significant 4-1 advantage from the first leg, Maresca stated he would not ease up on his tactical approach.
He confirmed, “For every match, we try to field our strongest possible starting lineup.”
While aiming to win the competition, Maresca indicated it`s somewhat of a “win it and move on” mission.
The manager`s focus is already on qualifying for more prestigious European tournaments in the future.
Maresca commented, “Hopefully, in the future, we will be competing in different competitions, but currently, we must face the reality of our situation.”
“We have to start from where we are,” he continued. “We are playing in the Conference League.”
“If you`re in the Conference League, you can`t win the Champions League or the Europa League.”
“The only trophy available to us in this competition is the Conference League itself. We will do our utmost to reach the final and win it.”
“Winning this trophy is a solid foundation for developing a winning mentality and securing more victories and silverware.”
“I emphasize to the players that, day by day, they must cultivate a winner`s mindset. We aim to win the tie from the first leg lead and go on to win the entire competition.”
Winning the final in Poland on May 28th is seen as a necessary, if not glamorous, step towards initiating a new period of success at Stamford Bridge in higher-profile competitions.
This mirrors the situation in 2019 when Maurizio Sarri guided the team to the Europa League title after beating Arsenal in Azerbaijan.
On that occasion, Chelsea had already secured Champions League qualification by finishing third in the league, making the Europa League triumph more of a bonus than a necessity.
Maresca is presenting an optimistic outlook for the future as his first season concludes, a season marked by typical Chelsea highs and lows.
However, his comments also honestly acknowledge how far the club has declined from its era of consistent dominance and trophy wins.
Under former owner Roman Abramovich, the club enjoyed immense success, winning an astounding 19 trophies in 19 years, followed by a period of turmoil.
This turmoil included Abramovich`s forced sale of the club following the Russia-Ukraine conflict, an emergency takeover by an American consortium, and a rapid succession of five managers in just over three years.
During this period, over a billion pounds was spent on assembling a squad that finished sixth last season and a disappointing twelfth the season prior.
Even for a club with a history of dramatic events (like the infamous high-voltage perimeter fence attempt), this recent downturn represents a significant shift.
Had Abramovich remained owner, it`s improbable Chelsea would be competing in Europe`s third-tier tournament against a team currently ranked 11th in Sweden.
Maresca concedes that Chelsea is currently at a level they have earned, viewing it as a potential launchpad for future success.
As a player, Maresca himself won three European trophies with Sevilla: the former UEFA Cup twice and the Super Cup.
These successes followed winning the Italian title with Juventus. He sees all these triumphs as stepping stones.
He commented, “It`s important because it shapes you. All the experience.”
“Probably the best experience for developing a winning mentality was at Juventus,” he explained. “It`s a club where you realize you want to win even in small training games.”
“That`s a winner`s mentality. Winning trophies is valuable because it teaches you *how* to win.”
“We`ve often stated that Chelsea is a major club with a rich history of winning significant trophies.”
“But with this current squad, we need to learn how to win.”
While Captain Reece James is a Champions League winner and Vice-captain Enzo Fernandez won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022, and there are other individual accolades within the squad, generally speaking, the current Chelsea dressing room doesn`t possess the same level of trophy-winning experience as the club`s successful past eras.
Maresca expressed caution regarding Djurgardens despite his team`s comfortable 4-1 lead from the initial leg.
He recalled that in the previous round against Legia Warsaw, Chelsea won the first leg 3-0 away but then lost the second leg 2-1 at home due to complacency.
Maresca criticized his players for that home performance against Warsaw and stated he would not tolerate a similar lack of focus. He commented, “After the first leg [against Warsaw], I told them the second game wasn`t good enough.”
“Hopefully, that experience will help us, both the players and the staff, to secure another win and keep building momentum.”
