Ex-Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has praised the work Enzo Maresca has done since his appointment last summer.

Speaking to BetVictor, Leboeuf said that the Italian is working under difficult circumstances and he feels the head coach has done incredibly well to get this team into the top four during his first year at Stamford Bridge:

“It’s a miracle to see Chelsea in the top four. If you’d told me last season that they would be in fourth place, I would not have believed you.”

“The problem is that they are building something that they are ready to destroy at the end of each season, as any player can be sold to make money. You don’t win things this way.”

“I see Enzo Maresca getting the blame for this. In my eyes, you can take any coach in the world, Chelsea will not win major trophies now. This isn’t the fault of Maresca, they need to stop changing the coach – it won’t change anything. The club must stand by him, as he is doing a good job.”

However, Leboeuf believes that Chelsea must change their transfer strategy if Maresca is to be successful in the long term:

“Their model of purchasing youth talent to make profit is a sustainable method for making profit as a football club, but you will not win major trophies being run in this way. If the club continue with the model, this will upset fans in the process, and I can’t see them winning trophies.”

“They have some great young talent in the squad, but they need to refine it a bit to add those experienced players in order to take the next step and win some major silverware.”

Not many supporters would disagree with Leboeuf’s remarks

Most fans believe that the club need to relax their criteria for signing players. The lack of experience has undoubtedly held the team back from competing for honours this campaign.

It is a first-team squad that has bundles of talent but there is a lack of leadership; something that Maresca has pointed to. That could be fixed if just one or two older, wiser heads were brought in.

Chelsea have had a difficult 2025

It must not be forgotten that the Blues were touted as title contenders not that long ago. Their form at the start of December meant they were getting close to Liverpool at the top of the table.

Maresca was rightly keen to play the down the club’s title credentials at the time and the drop-off has been somewhat concerning since then. They have not won an away league fixture this calendar year.

Even so, they remain in contention to qualify for the Champions League and, if the Blues achieve that aim, Maresca’s first season will be labelled as a success.

Find out who is in Chelsea’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here