'F off to all of them!' - Enzo Maresca lets rip at Chelsea doubters in surprise outburst after guiding club back into the Champions League

Italian tactician Maresca, who guided Leicester to the Championship title in 2023-24, was appointed at Stamford Bridge on the back of the west London heavyweights ending two campaigns outside of the Premier League’s top four.

A top-five standing would be enough to rejoin European football’s elite in 2024-25, but Maresca managed to wrap up fourth spot after prevailing in a crunch clash with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground - as a solitary effort from Levi Colwill saw the Blues to a 1-0 win.

Questions have been asked of Maresca and his young squad throughout a testing season, but they were able to deliver the perfect response to any critics. Chelsea’s manager told reporters after sealing a Champions League place: "I didn’t have any doubt about the players.

"The doubt was from outside. All the ones that have the answers or the ones that have the truth, they were saying that we are too young, we are not good enough, they were waiting for Aston Villa to drop points for us to achieve the Champions League.

"They were saying that we were not able to win on this pitch because we are too young, because we are not experienced.

"Unfortunately for them, they have all been wrong. All the ones that have the truth and have an answer to everything. So in English, how you say? “Eff off” to all of them, because the players deserve that. The effort they have been doing is fantastic."

Chelsea posted a new Premier League record in 2024-25 for the youngest average age of a top-flight team, at 24 years and 36 days, with Maresca going on to say of finishing with a flourish at the City Ground: "(Manchester) City lost here, Arsenal drew here, Liverpool drew here, Chelsea won. It's not easy. The players, they showed how good they are.

"Unfortunately we are in a business where the people judge us because of the results. And today, in case we were not able to win the game, probably all of you would judge this season a disaster. But it was not a disaster."

Chelsea’s campaign will get even better if they are able to see off Real Betis in the Conference League final on Wednesday. They will take in a short break on the back of that contest before readying themselves for the FIFA Club World Cup on American soil - with their first fixture at that event taking place on June 16 against the winner of a play-off.