Enzo Maresca has called on the Chelsea fans to trust the process as the club prepare for a new era under his management.
Maresca has been appointed as Chelsea’s new head coach following the decision for Mauricio Pochettino to leave Stamford Bridge, continuing a turbulent recent period of upheaval in West London.
The Italian is Chelsea’s fourth permanent manager since the takeover by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in 2022, alongside interim spells for Bruno Saltor and Frank Lampard.
Maresca impressed to lead Leicester to promotion to the Premier League in 2023-24, having previously worked as an assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
In his first interview since taking charge at Chelsea, Maresca called on the fans to back the Blues this season and hopes for unity between the supporters and his squad.
“In this moment, when you join a club you try to analyse what the club and team needs to improve and do the right things. For me, it’s clear we need to create as soon as possible the right mentality and culture, a culture that the fans can be proud of. This is very important,” Maresca told the club’s official website.
“We are going to try to be an aggressive team on the ball and off the ball and we need to create this connection between the fans and the club, especially at home.
“When you have your own fans behind the team pushing, it’s like playing with 12 players and this is what we have to create here.”
Asked if he had a message for the Chelsea fans ahead of the new season, Maresca called for supporters to be patient and to trust the process.
“Just trust the process, trust the idea, be behind the team. For sure we are going to enjoy the journey. Like at every club, for every manager, it will not be easy because nothing is easy. But for sure we are going to enjoy our journey.”
