In the friendly match between Chelsea and Inter Milan on Sunday night, the two sides shook hands 1-1. After the match, Chelsea manager Maresca was interviewed by the media, sharing his thoughts on the match and his outlook on the team's future.
Maresca showed a positive attitude towards the game. "I'm happy because I see the team improving," he said, "We showed good athleticism both with and without the ball. Today we created six or seven great chances and although we only scored one goal, creating chances is very important in itself and I'm sure we will score more goals as time goes on." He made special mention of the team's positive performance without the ball, saying that the team did a good job in defense and stealing, which is especially rare against a strong team like Inter.
Speaking about his debut at Stamford Bridge, Maresca said he enjoyed the atmosphere. "I was very happy before the game and I'm very happy now," he said, "The atmosphere is great and the fans have made me feel at home. We need to build a stronger bond between the team and the fans because their support is what keeps us going." He believes that Chelsea will become stronger with the cheering of the fans.
On the addition of new signing Pedro Neto, Maresca expressed his excitement. "He has a lot to offer," he said, "Whether he's playing on the right or the left, he's been outstanding. His one-on-one ability is excellent, which will provide more options for our offense." He also revealed that the team needs a strong squad to meet the challenges due to the numerous matches this season, and the addition of Pedro Neto certainly adds a new dynamic to the team.
Speaking about the squad, Maresca said he was pleased with the fitness of the players. "We tried to give everyone a chance to play," he said, "We changed four players at the end of the first half just to give players like Palmer and Caicedo some time to regain their fitness." He also singled out players such as Wesley Fofana, Lavia and Nkunku for their excellent performances and believes that making them more versatile is vital for the team's long-term development.
Regarding the upcoming first match of the new Premier League season against Manchester City, Maresca said that the starting lineup has not been finalized yet. "I don't fully know my team yet," he said, "The pre-season is very tough and intensive, and we need to gel the line-up through more training and games. However, I believe that as time goes by and the team continues to improve, we will be fully prepared for this game."
