Maresca says Chelsea are getting ‘back to where they deserve to be’ after reaching Club World Cup final | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca says Chelsea are on the path to being back where they “deserve to be” after reaching the final of the Club World Cup.

Chelsea beat Fluminense 2-0 in a dominant semi-final display with new signing Joao Pedro the man of the match, scoring both goals.

On the Brazilian’s performance, Maresca said: “We are very happy with Joao, we know that Joao is a very good player and a student. Because he has qualities inside, like today.

“I think another thing that is important about Joao is that he was on holiday, so is a bit more fresh compared to the rest. So it’s something that is important to be aware of that. So, I’m happy for Joao.

“We knew how good he was as a player. The reason why we brought him is because this season we faced many teams with a low block. His quality is very good against this kind of team. As a player, as a person, first of all, he is from Brazil. Most of the Brazilian players are very happy with their journey with football.

“Also, he worked with a friend of mine in Brighton, Roberto De Zerbi. I spoke with Roberto a while ago. This is exactly the way he should play. It doesn’t mean that he is going to be all season like this. It’s not going to happen. But it’s good to have him also as an option.”

Watch the Club World Cup final on DAZN: www.dazn.com/Hayterstv

Chelsea have had a difficult few years since the takeover by BlueCo but Maresca said he is pleased the Blues are back on the right track, having last season won the Conference League and also qualified for the Champions League.

“The last few years have not been what the club deserves or what the history of this club says,” he said.

“This year, luckily, it has gone quite well, (we are) also in the Champions League. In the Conference League we managed to win it and now we are in this final, and we are in the Champions League. We are very proud to help the club to get back to where it deserves to be.

“We are very happy, we are very proud to play the final on Sunday. The reason why is because this is the Club World Cup, the best clubs in the world are here. For us to be there on Sunday is something that we are very proud of, so we are very happy.”