Maresca hits back at Chelsea critics after sealing Champions League spot

Enzo Maresca hit back at Chelsea's critics after the Blues secured Champions League football for the first time since 2022 with a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday. 

Levi Colwill's close-range finish five minutes after half-time was the difference at the City Ground, with Chelsea ending the campaign in fourth position. 

Indeed, their win over Forest saw the Blues win and keep a clean sheet in a Premier League away game for the first time since September, when they beat West Ham 3-0. 

Much was made about Chelsea's young squad throughout their maiden season under Maresca, with the team tipped to challenge at the top following a fine start. 

Indeed, the average age of Chelsea's starting XI in the top-flight this season was 24 years and 36 days - the youngest ever by a team in a single campaign in the competition.

Inconsistency in December and January, which saw the Blues go four league games without a win, saw many believe they would struggle to finish in the top five. 

However, six wins in their final nine matches of the season saw Chelsea seal a return to Europe's elite competition, with Maresca sending a message to his team's doubters. 

"I didn't have any doubt about the players," Maresca said in his post-match press conference. "The doubt was from outside.

"All the ones that have the answers or the ones that have the truth, they were saying that we are too young, we are not good enough, that we were waiting for Aston Villa to drop points for us to achieve the Champions League.

"They were saying that we were not able to win on this pitch [at Forest] because we are too young, because we are not experienced.

"Unfortunately for them, they have all been wrong. All the ones that have the truth and have the answer to everything.

"So in English, how do you say? F-off to all of them, because the players deserve that. The effort they have been putting in is fantastic."

It also marked the first time that Chelsea would appear in the Champions League under the current ownership, led by Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. 

"Twelfth two seasons ago, sixth last season, fourth this season, with probably the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League," Maresca added. 

"[Manchester] City lost here, Arsenal drew here, Liverpool drew here. Chelsea won. It’s not easy. The players showed how good they are.

"Unfortunately, we are in a business where the people - you - judge us because of the results.

"Today, if we were not able to win the game probably all of you would judge this season as a disaster."

Chelsea will now turn their attention to Wednesday's Europa Conference League final, where they face Real Betis in Wroclaw.