Enzo Maresca is learning all about the pressures of sitting in the manager’s dugout at Chelsea this season, and a Premier League rival has admitted that he once held discussions about coaching at Stamford Bridge.
It surprised many fans when Enzo Maresca, 45, left Leicester City last summer to become the Chelsea head coach.
The Italian’s debut year as the Blues head coach hangs in the balance. Let’s wait and see if the team can qualify for the Champions League via the Premier League’s top five positions and lift the Conference League trophy.
Enzo Maresca’s style of play hasn’t been for everyone because in 2025 the possession-based football has become a bit slower. There are signs with three wins on the bounce across all competitions that they’re rediscovering some form, though.
Chelsea aren’t planning to replace Enzo Maresca in the near future, even though this first year in West London has had its challenges.
Vitor Pereira claims he came close to Chelsea job
Portuguese icon Jose Mourinho is the most legendary manager to take charge of Chelsea, enjoying success across two spells with the club. Well, it turns out that his fellow countryman was once in the running to follow his path and take charge of the Blues.
Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Vitor Pereira, 56, has done superbly well since taking charge at Molineux Stadium midway through the 2024/25 season. It’s a credit to him that he’s made such a positive impact during his first taste of managing in English football.
During a recent interview, the Wolves boss explained that he came close to coming to the Premier League before after discussions with numerous clubs in the past, including Chelsea.
“Do you know how many meetings I had here? The first one, West Bromwich, in the Premier League, maybe 15 years ago,” Pereira told BBC Sport.
“The second? Everton. Third? Crystal Palace with the proposal, with the contract for two and-a-half years. OK, we can celebrate with a pint and then they changed the idea for another but I realised that is normal here.
“After that, Chelsea, then Everton again, then Arsenal. I had a very long, very good meeting with Arsenal before they signed (Mikel) Arteta.
“Watford was the only time that I said no. I didn’t want to do it. It was the time that they were relegated.”
Under Pereira’s guidance, Wolves have climbed from 19th in the Premier League table up to 13th position to secure another year in England’s top division. Remarkably, they’ve won their previous six league games in a row.
Back in January, Vitor Pereira praised Chelsea’s quality after his Wolves side suffered a 3-1 away defeat to them.
Overall, he’s been a breath of fresh air since his addition to the Premier League.
Vitor Pereira vs Enzo Maresca this season
Let’s take a look at how Pereira and Maresca compare at their respective clubs in the Premier League during this current campaign.
| Competition | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points per game |
| Premier League | 18 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 1.78 |
| Competition | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points per game |
| Premier League | 34 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 1.76 |
As you can see above, Pereira’s points per game with Wolves this season is marginally higher than what Maresca has achieved at Chelsea. Of course, it must be factored in that the Portuguese coach only arrived at the Molineux Stadium in December.
While Pereira has already won the hearts of the Wolves fanbase, it feels like Maresca needs a very strong finish to the season to do the same at Chelsea.
