Chelsea were once one of Europe's most well-run clubs under their former owner Roman Abramovich, with a focus on shrewd transfer dealings and value creation. There was specific emphasis on signing proven campaigners, which paid off handsomely, with the Blues winning two Champions League titles as well as five Premier League trophies. However, Abramovich was forced to sell the club to a consortium led by American billionaire Todd Boehly, turning things upside down. Financial wisdom went out the window, with players purchased at immensely extravagant sums. A recent UEFA report stated that Chelsea spent almost two billion euros in transfer fees from 2020 to 2024, terming the club's 2024 squad as "the most expensive ever assembled."
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Close to 39 transfers have been completed in just two years, resulting in fans and experts terming the decision-making "madness." Boehly's stint drew controversy early on following the decision to sack the club's 2021 Champions League-winning manager Thomas Tuchel. The billionaire picked ex-Brighton manager Graham Potter as a replacement, which failed miserably, as Chelsea finished 12th in the 2022/23 season after a third-place finish. Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino also failed to transform fortunes, leading to yet another managerial vacancy.
While pundits expected Boehly to re-appoint Tuchel, the billionaire took an unprecedented decision by handing over charge to ex-Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca at the start of the 2024/25 season. The decision seemed quite brazen, considering Maresca had no formal Premier League experience as a manager. While the transfer merry-go-round continued under Maresca, with 11 new players signed including Jadon Sancho, the Italian manager developed a robust system around young and hungry players.
Maresca faced a tough start to his stint, as the Blues conceded easy goals in friendlies and suffered a loss in their opening PL match against Manchester City. However, the Italian took a leaf out of his former boss Pep Guardiola's playbook by retaining self-belief amid pressure. Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer, and Levi Colwill formed the core of the setup, with Maresca placing trust in Nicolas Jackson despite the striker's inexperience. There was also heavy focus on versatility to catch the opposition unawares, with full-backs Marc Cucurella and Malo Gusto inverting into midfield.
"Maresca picked the two best players for every position with emphasis on versatile players like Gusto who can play either as a right-back or a central midfielder," said Spanish football manager Mario Rivera.
Chelsea dominated proceedings in the season's first half with fast, fluid, and explosive football, smashing goals for fun. While Palmer had already developed a reputation as a game-changer, emerging players like Noni Madueke also made their presence felt, as evident from the latter's 14-minute hat-trick against Wolves.
"The main tactical change in the Chelsea setup is the numeric superiority in the central channel. While attacking, they operate in a 3-2-2-3 formation with four midfielders, offering greater control. The high-press system gives Chelsea a chance to play far off the goalpost with much more balance for transitions," stated Rivera.
Chelsea were well in contention for the league title until December after jumping to the second spot, resulting in fans chanting, "We have our Chelsea back." However, injuries to crucial players like defender Wesley Fofana and Jackson, as well as Mykhailo Mudryk's long-term suspension, impacted results over a crucial two-month period, pushing Maresca into a spot of bother. While experts stated that opponents had figured out the Italian's gameplay, there were also question marks over the system's intensity, resulting in fatigue.
Three wins in 12 matches between December 22 and February 22 pushed Chelsea to sixth place, resulting in heavy criticism over the quality of recruitment. However, Maresca's 'band of brothers' kept marching on, with Champions League qualification coming down to their final Premier League match against Nottingham Forest — who had been brilliant themselves. Colwill stepped up in this crucial encounter, vindicating the Italian manager's faith by scoring the winner.
Maresca's brilliance enabled Chelsea to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since Boehly's takeover, recording the feat with the youngest average line-up in Premier League history — 24 years and 36 days. "The doubt was from outside. Critics were saying that we were not able to win because we are too young and inexperienced. F**k off to all of them," said the Italian manager in a no-holds-barred retort after a league season which has revived Chelsea's flagging fortunes.
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