Football
Avram Grant: Chelsea Owners Must Support Enzo Maresca to Restore Club's Former Glory
Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant urges club owners to show patience with Enzo Maresca, as the new manager seeks to restore Chelsea’s glory days. Grant discusses Chelsea’s coaching turnover, Maresca’s promising start, and Chelsea's top-four hopes in this exclusive interview
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Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant has advised the club's owners to be patient with their new manager, Enzo Maresca, noting previous mistakes.
CHANGING OF COACHES AT CHELSEA
Chelsea appointed Enzo Maresca on a five-year contract on June 3, 2024, replacing Mauricio Pochettino, who left Chelsea by mutual consent.
The 44-year-old Italian led Leicester to the Championship title last season, his only full season as a head coach,
Maresca became the fifth manager in Chelsea's two-year ownership of Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly, succeeding Thomas Tuchel Graham Potter, Frank Lampard, and Pochettino.
Following that, Grant, who is now the head coach for the Zambia National Team, believes the new owners made many mistakes.
“Chelsea has now improved. You know, there’s been a difficult time since the new owners came; I think they didn't know what to do, and they made a lot of mistakes that didn't need to happen because they had a very good base that we created for the club,” Grant told SportsBoom.com.
It took us a lot of effort to make this base, and Chelsea followed this base, but the new owners came and said they wanted to change. I don't know why, but now they understand that there is a different way to do it
Avram Grant
MARESCA NEEDS TIME
Grant moved to England in 2006 to become technical director of Portsmouth before joining Chelsea in the same role in July 2007. He took over as manager of the club two months later, in September 2007, after José Mourinho's departure.
Despite leading the team to the Champions League and League Cup finals, as well as competing for the Premier League title until the final day, his contract was terminated at the end of the season.
He believes that being a coach at Chelsea comes with a lot of pressure, so Maresca needs more time to flourish.
“They must be patient with him. I know at Chelsea you cannot ask for patience as a coach, but I think they need to be patient with him because, you know, you always compared to the past.”
“In the last two years, Chelsea didn't perform well since the new owners came. They didn't perform well. Also, changing coaches and players every time affected the club. I know that we have a habit to change, but as the owner, you have to look at the quality of the players and the time needed to compete at the highest level.”
MARESCA’S ERA AT CHELSEA
After coaching at Ascoli, Sevilla, and West Ham United, Enzo took over Manchester City's Elite Development Squad in August 2020 and led them to the 2021 Premier League 2 title.
Maresca was hired head coach of Leicester City in June 2023, following stints with Parma and Manchester City as assistant coach.
In his first season as manager with the Foxes, he led the team to the EFL Championship title and promotion back to the Premier League.
This season, the Blues have only lost two league games, which came against Manchester City and Liverpool.
Maresca has five wins and four draws in ten Premier League games, and he is currently third in the standings after last weekend's 1-1 tie with London rivals Arsenal.
Maresca has overseen 18 matches in all competitions, winning ten, drawing three, and losing four.
“I think he's doing a good job. He's trying to play modern football. It's okay now,” Grant said.
“Last year I was not happy with the team, but this year I see improvement. They're playing good football.”
They're better now, but I expect more from Chelsea, but Maresca deserves a chance. He is a good coach. He showed that he's a good coach, and one of the things to use to judge a coach is about the team’s improvement.
Avram Grant
CAN CHELSEA FINISH IN TOP FOUR?
Grant believes Maresca has done a good job so far and has a chance to take the Blues back to the Champions League next season and even challenge for the title.
“Normally, I will say to you I don't know, but in this season when Man City are losing points as they look to find a solution for injured Rodri and Liverpool also having ups and downs despite starting the season well, I think there is a chance also for Chelsea this season.
“They're playing very good football. But I think they have a chance because of what the league looks like currently. It'll be, I think, very tight, but they have a realistic chance.”
Calvin Kaumba Chikenge is a renowned multimedia sports journalist from Zambia, known for his in-depth reporting and captivating feature stories. With eight years of experience in the field, he has built a reputation for telling unique stories that resonate with audiences both locally and globally. His talent and dedication were recognised when he was named the 2023/24 MTN/FAZ Super League Journalist of the Year, highlighting his outstanding contributions to sports journalism in Zambia.