Enzo Maresca makes Chelsea Champions League U-turn as top four race intensifies

Enzo Maresca has clarified Chelsea's target this season is to finish in the top four of the Premier League. The head coach has previously said there were not set demands for his side this term but has now confirmed that Champions League qualification is the club's objective.

With 13 games left to go of the top-flight season, the Blues sit in sixth place, a point below Manchester City in fourth going into this weekend's round of fixtures. Speaking on Friday at Cobham ahead of a key fixture away to Aston Villa, Maresca opened up again on his aims for the season.

"We said many times that we spend almost all of our season in the top four," he said. "Now we have just 13 games to go, for sure now the target is to finish in the top four and to finish in the best way. We are going to try to do our best to achieve that knowing that the difficult moment that we have now is probably one of the reasons why, and the most important reason why, is because of the injury situation."

He later added: "I have always been clear, since day one, I am not here to, and I said this already a few times, I am not here to survive. I am here to win games. I am here to bring this club to fight for titles. I have said this already many times. The problem is that when you win games you look humble and when you don't win games you lack ambition.

"Since day one I joined this club my intention is to win games, to win titles, and to bring this club where this club deserve to be. I said this since day one and if you review all of my press conferences I repeat the same. The problem, as I said, when you win you look humble and when you don't win you lack ambition.

"I am ambitious, the club is ambitious. We have the same manager, the same players, the same sporting directors as two months ago when we were second in the league. Nothing has changed. The only thing that has changed is that we are dealing with many injuries, and this has affected the level of the team."

Previously this season Maresca has claimed that there was no such immediate pressure to finish in the top four, saying that, “the target was in two years to play [in the] Champions League." He has also said that his side “are going to try our best to finish where this club belongs, back in the Champions League," as well.

In August he explained: "For us, the target at this moment is to improve players. No one from the club asked me to compete for the Premier League or compete for a Champions League spot. They just asked me to improve the players and improve the team. The most important thing is to be better game after game."

The Italian has the support of the Chelsea hierarchy, though, with director Jonathan Goldstein giving his public backing to Maresca earlier this week. "He's doing a great job," Goldstein said on Bloomberg TV.

"Chelsea started the season very well. The last six weeks have been, you know, finding their feet a little bit more. But Enzo has clearly done a great job in bringing the team together, bringing the talent through. And we're very optimistic for the rest of the season and how that plays out."

As for if Maresca will keep his job during a tough run, Goldstein added: "100 per cent." The boss has admitted that he is happy with those above him at the club.

"It's nice," he said. "I really appreciate, to be honest, the relations with the club since the start. In a better moment in terms of results and in a worse moment in terms of results like now, they always support me. The sporting directors, the owner, all of the club, to be honest."

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