Despite only joining the club in January 2023, Enzo Fernandez has seen pretty much everything possible during his time at Chelsea.
The Blues finished 12th in Fernandez’s first season at the club, despite the extraordinary amount of money spent during Todd Boehly’s first campaign in charge
Fast forward nearly three years since his arrival, and Chelsea sit third in the league, having just performed brilliantly against league leaders Arsenal with 10 men for more than half the game.
The World Cup winner has gone down as a fan favourite, even if it is just for the passion he shows on the pitch. Fernandez clashed with Noni Madueke during his return to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea v Arsenal - Premier League
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Enzo Fernandez says Chelsea hiring Enzo Maresca was when everything changed for the better
It is clear to see that things are on an upwards trajectory at Stamford Bridge, and Fernandez told GiveMeSport that he believes the hiring of Enzo Maresca has seen everything change at the club.
He said: “I’m used to winning all the time and when I came here the results were very poor. I like winning and hate losing. I had to live through a frustrating period on a personal level because of what was going on.
“It helped us all develop and improve and I’m very happy with how things are at the club these days. It was a tough time because when I arrived there were so many coaches and players coming and going.
“There were many changes, in the end Chelsea went for Enzo Maresca which is when the club started to build more solid foundations as a group, we started to develop our footballing identity, which has been great for the squad.
“Now you can see how settled we are and what a talented squad we have.”
Nottingham Forest FC v Chelsea FC - Premier League
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It is major praise from the midfielder for his manager, however his tactical abilities have seen him worthy of those comments.
For example, Maresca’s decision to not name a recognised centre-forward against Barcelona was brave, however paid off greatly as they went on to win 3-0.
Maresca has also used Reece James as a midfielder in big games, with the Blues benefitting against the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona.
Fernandez has also become far more of a goal threat since the new manager came in. After three Premier League goals under Mauricio Pochettino, he doubled that tally last season, and already has four in 2025/26.