"Maresca has worked with Pep Guardiola for years, and it clearly shows," Vieri told Gazzetta dello Sport. "Chelsea's style of play isn't just high pressing, but also ball control, organized play with quick, quality, and powerful players, which always brings positive results. For me, Chelsea will win the Premier League next season. They will also be a contender for the Champions League title."
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Coach Maresca lifts the Club World Cup trophy after the final on 13/7, Chelsea 3-0 PSG. Photo: Reuters |
Coach Maresca lifts the Club World Cup trophy after the final on 13/7, Chelsea 3-0 PSG. Photo: Reuters
Chelsea manager Maresca previously managed Manchester City's youth team during the 2020-2021 season. During this period, he began working with first-team manager Guardiola. After an unsuccessful season at Parma, the Italian manager returned to Manchester City as Guardiola's assistant. Subsequently, his career took off.
After helping Leicester City win the English Championship in 2023-2024, Maresca moved to Chelsea. Last season, he led the Blues to 4th place in the Premier League, securing a Champions League spot, and winning both the Conference League and the Club World Cup.
In the Club World Cup final on 13/7, Chelsea caused a major upset by defeating PSG 3-0. "When you win continuously, you become complacent. And then comes the time to get slapped in the face, because there are teams that are even more hungry," Vieri said about PSG.
The last time Chelsea won the Premier League was the 2016-2017 season. Back then, they were also led by an Italian manager, Antonio Conte.
This summer, Chelsea strengthened their attack with quality signings like Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, and Jamie Gittens. Pedro and Delap both quickly proved their worth by scoring during the Club World Cup winning campaign.
Vieri was once the world's most expensive player when he joined Inter in 1999. With the Nerazzurri, he scored 103 goals in 143 Serie A matches and won the Coppa Italia. In 2022, Inter inducted Vieri into their list of legends. Vieri also won Serie A with Juventus and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with Lazio. Individually, he won the Pichichi Trophy as La Liga's top scorer with Atletico during the 1997-1998 season, the Capocannoniere as Serie A's top scorer with Inter in 2002-2023, and the Silver Boot at the 1998 World Cup.
On 17/8, Chelsea will host Crystal Palace in their Premier League opener. Maresca's three main competitors will be Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City, the top three teams from last season.
Thanh Quy (Gazzetta)
