Chelsea Can Reclaim Former Glory Days If Enzo Maresca Is Given Time, Says Claude Makelele

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Chelsea's potential resurgence to their past successes hinges on giving Enzo Maresca ample time to lead, according to Claude Makelele. Maresca took over at Stamford Bridge from Leicester City in July last year, succeeding Mauricio Pochettino. In his debut season, he led Chelsea to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League and secured a spot in the Champions League, while also winning the Conference League.

Maresca has achieved 39 victories out of 62 matches across all competitions with Chelsea. This includes guiding the team to the Club World Cup semi-finals, where they are set to face Fluminense on Tuesday. Despite these accomplishments, speculation about Maresca's future persists due to Chelsea's frequent managerial changes. Since Makelele's departure in 2008, Chelsea has seen 15 different managers.

Makelele expressed his support for Maresca during the Club World Cup, stating: "Good. [Enzo Maresca has been] good and I'm not surprised. Everybody criticised him in the beginning, but he won a trophy and he qualified for the Champions League. I think Chelsea need to give him time because in football you need time for the manager."

Makelele also defended forward Nicolas Jackson amid transfer rumours. Jackson joined Chelsea in 2023 and has scored 30 goals in 80 appearances across all competitions. However, he hasn't played in Chelsea's last three Club World Cup games due to suspension and being an unused substitute.

Despite new signings like Liam Delap and Joao Pedro strengthening Chelsea's attack, Makelele believes Jackson remains valuable. "He's doing very well," Makelele said of Jackson. "Everybody criticises him, but he's a striker who sacrifices for his team."

Paris Saint-Germain's Recent Success

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), another of Makelele’s former clubs, recently celebrated their first Champions League victory in June under Luis Enrique’s leadership. The Spaniard has focused on developing young talents while integrating star players like Lionel Messi and Neymar.

PSG faces Real Madrid in the other semi-final of the Club World Cup. Makelele attributes PSG’s success to Enrique’s philosophy: "PSG have progressed in a good way. The club is changing a lot." He emphasised that success isn't solely about money but building young talent.

Makelele expressed satisfaction with PSG’s progress: "I am happy because I built the beginning of this project with Qatar, and I'm happy now that they've won the Champions League." He believes PSG now understands the importance of nurturing talent alongside having big-name players.

As both Chelsea and PSG continue their campaigns, Makelele remains optimistic about their futures under their current management strategies.