SUCCESS? EVEN WITH A TROPHY IN THE BANK, IT IS STILL TOO EARLY TO SAY FOR MARESCA

HE has already won a European trophy and booked a place in next season's Champions League.

- JOHN CROSS

But in reality, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is still only on par.

While no one would admit it publicly, it would have been a failure if Chelsea had not lifted the Europa Conference League, and returning to European football's biggest stage was always the target.

And yet the Club World Cup offers not just the incentive of a £97million jackpot for the winners, but also a huge opportunity for the Blues.

It could be the tournament which puts them back among the elite and, almost as importantly, gives them a chance to start shaping their future. This is also about what Chelsea can get out of this tournament as a squad.

When appointing Maresca last year, the club made it clear they viewed the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons almost as two years rolled into one.

Why? The unique nature of the Club World Cup threw up a new challenge but also a big opportunity.