SPORTSWORLD.AM
Enzo Maresca will retain his position as head coach of London's Chelsea, regardless of the team's results in its final three games of the season, The Telegraph reports.
To secure a place in the Champions League by finishing in the top five of the Premier League, Chelsea must win their final two games against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest.
Maresca also has the chance to finish his first season in charge of the Blues with a trophy if Chelsea beat Spanish side Betis in the Conference League final.
Achieving both of these goals would be seen as a successful season for Maresca, who signed a five-year contract last summer. The club had planned to give him at least two full seasons before any assessment of his performance. This plan remains unchanged, even if Chelsea fail to achieve their main objective of qualifying for the Champions League, which would be seen internally as a disappointment rather than a crisis requiring radical change.
Chelsea are aware of interest in Maresca from other clubs, both domestic and European, but the club has no intention of changing the manager based on the last three results.
Furthermore, the club does not consider the Conference League final to be the last game of its season, as Chelsea will be participating in the Club World Cup in the United States in the summer.
While Chelsea will conduct a season analysis and identify areas where the team can improve, a full assessment of Maresca's performance is not expected until the end of next season.
If Chelsea fail to qualify for the Champions League for two consecutive seasons under Maresca, his future at the club could be in question.
Former manager Mauricio Pochettino left Chelsea last summer with the team in sixth place, a position the club could repeat if they fail to win their final two league games. However, Pochettino had just one year left on his original contract and the short-term expectations for him differed from those for Maresca, given his previous experience at the top level.
If Maresca, as expected, retains his position at the end of this season, he will become the longest-serving coach under club owners Todd Bowley and Clearlake Capital, who had sacked Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter before his arrival.
Maresca shares a common vision with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, and the prevailing view at the club is that Chelsea are making progress under his leadership, regardless of their final league position or cup win.
Under the Italian manager, Chelsea's playing style changed, and the club spent most of the season in the top five, in the Champions League qualifying zone, instead of catching up with their rivals.