LONDON (Reuters) – Chelsea are heading in the right direction under Italian manager Enzo Maresca, former club great Gianfranco Zola said on Wednesday, as the team sits fourth in the Premier League standings after seven games.
Zola, who played for Chelsea between 1996-2003 and won two FA Cups, a League Cup and a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup backed his compatriot to do well at Stamford Bridge but said that collecting silverware would be harder than ever.
“He’s under pressure (to win trophies),” a laughing Zola told reporters at The Summit, part of Leaders Week London.
“The times are different, because in the past his predecessors had great teams. He (Maresca) has a good team as well, a very good team but it’s very young and needs to develop.
“So far, he’s doing very well, and I really wish he can do that. He will have a tough task because of the competition in England, everybody knows it is so strong… But again, I like what he’s doing, and he’s got a chance.”
Maresca is the seventh Italian manager in Chelsea history and Zola remains one of the most popular players to have ever graced the Stamford Bridge turf.
However, there has been a period of churn and turmoil at Chelsea since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium acquired the club in 2022 from previous owner Roman Abramovich.
There have been five managers already in the new era while more than 30 players have signed for the club on a permanent basis in that time.
Zola, however, said he could see things coming together under the 44-year-old Maresca, who joined from Leicester City in the close season.
“I see a structure in place. The team is working on something that is good. I like it. As a coach, I see something on the pitch. Now there is a lot of work (to do) because obviously the competition level is quite high.”
Chelsea, who have not lost in the league since an opening-day defeat by Manchester City, face Liverpool away on Sunday.
(Reporting by Christian Radnedge; Editing by Toby Davis)
