Chelsea are prepared to stand by manager Enzo Maresca even if the Blues fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League, a report has claimed.
The Blues were flying high in the first half of the season, but a dramatic slump in form has seen Chelsea go from outside title contenders to top-five hopefuls. Maresca’s side remain in control of their own destiny but face a tense ending to the season against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest, while they also have the Conference League final against Real Betis to navigate.
Several fans have turned on Maresca in 2025 and there have even been suggestions that the Italian has divided opinion of those upstairs at Chelsea, but The Telegraph insist he will remain in charge for the 2025/26 campaign at the very least.
Maresca is tied to a five-year contract but it is stressed the plan was always to give him at least two seasons before conducting a formal performance review.
While Chelsea officials would obviously prefer to see this season end with Champions League qualification and success in the Conference League, neither accomplishment is viewed as necessary for Maresca to keep his job.
There is said to be plenty of interest in Maresca’s services from both the Premier League and mainland Europe – Roma have recently been named as suitors by reports elsewhere – but Chelsea do not want to lose the 45-year-old at this stage.
An end-of-season review will still see Chelsea evaluate this season’s performance and identify areas of concern for the summer transfer window, but Maresca’s future will not feature prominently in talks between high-ranking officials.
It is believed those in charge have been impressed by what they perceive as progress on the pitch, even though Chelsea could still end up in sixth place for the second consecutive season. Maresca has won many in the boardroom over with his playing style and statistics which would suggest further steps forward can be made next season.
