The highlight of Enzo Maresca’s first season in charge of Chelsea was winning the Club World Cup, making it the second trophy of the campaign for the Blues.
After expected triumph in the Conference League, Maresca led the Blues to glory in the United States with arguably their best performance of the season in the final.
Despite facing Champions League holders PSG, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro inspired Chelsea to a 3-0 victory in the final game of the extended season.
Maresca’s gain in the 2024/25 season was Mauricio Pochettino’s loss after the Argentine had failed to deliver a trophy or Champions League qualification.
Chelsea players and Joe Shields with Club World Cup
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea deserved Club World Cup triumph
Despite not being present to see some of his foundations turn into glory, there are no sour grapes from the former Blues boss, who remains adamant Chelsea very much earned their win in the final.
He said: “Chelsea was a fair winner, that is your question? Yes, yes. I think they were better than Paris Saint-Germain in that game. That showed that in a short period of tournament, how important it is to arrive in a good form.
“And I think Chelsea was a fair winner.”
Nottingham Forest v Chelsea FC - Premier League
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It remains to be seen if Chelsea’s victory in the first edition of the new format of the Club World Cup will see them automatically qualify for the 2029 version.
With Chelsea players earning £350,000 for winning the competition, they will be hoping they have the opportunity to defend their crown in four years’ time.
Chelsea feeling the long-term effects of Club World Cup triumph
It was reported that Chelsea hadn’t given their players suitable time off following the Club World Cup, due to how soon after the new Premier League season got underway.
With the limited time off, the Blues were always going to be prone to injury issues, and have been severely impacted in the new campaign.
Levi Colwill suffered an ACL injury on the first day of pre-season, and issues to Liam Delap, Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia have continued to plague them for prolonged periods in the new season.
Victory at the Club World Cup was clearly a high point for the Blues, however the ramifications it has had on their new season are clear to see.