Enzo Maresca reveals Chelsea owners’ message after Blues beat Wolves in Premier League

Enzo Maresca insists Chelsea need time to build a team capable of challenging for top honours – and believes his Stamford Bridge paymasters agree.

Chelsea crushed Wolves 6-2 for Maresca’s first Premier League win in charge in west London, with Noni Madueke scoring a 14th-minute hat-trick at Molineux.

New head coach Maresca then reaffirmed the direction of owners Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital for this season, simply aiming to build the foundations for future success in terms of top-flight trophies.

Maresca is convinced that Chelsea’s owners know they need stability and consistency over time to compete for the Premier League and Champions League titles.

Confirming that Chelsea’s owners do not see this season as the year to mount a serious challenge, Maresca explained: “The focus for us at the moment is to see how we can improve and improve the players.

“The owners simply asked me to improve the players and the team, and they didn’t ask us to compete for the Premier League or Champions League title this season.

“The goal is also to solve the economic problems in terms of why we have to sell players and do certain things.

“I feel lucky because of the team, because of the players; I don’t feel lucky because the club didn’t ask me to win the Premier League or get a place in the Champions League.

“They are a club that won the Champions League three years ago but then finished 12th and then 6th. So, fighting this season is not the reality.

“I think we can build something important for time, months, years. And we can compete again for these competitions.

“It’s not the process that allows us to suddenly start competing. The difference between us and Manchester City and Arsenal is that City have been working with the same manager for eight, nine years, and Arsenal have been working with the same manager for four, five years. And Chelsea have been working with the same manager for two months.”

“So that’s the biggest difference for me right now.”

Madueke’s second-half hat-trick helped Chelsea turn a 2-2 half-time score into an away rout of the Blues, leaving Maresca excited about what lies ahead at the Stamford Bridge club this season.

“I want to see my team play the way we want to play, be competitive in every game, that’s the most important thing,” Maresca said.

“We want to have a clear idea on the ball and off the ball to be a very aggressive team.

“Today we started to see our team at certain moments; we will try to improve the players, and I feel very lucky, very happy to have this challenge.

“I think the team is very good and I’m very lucky to have so many versatile players.”