The Blues roared back to beat Real Betis 4-1 in the Wroclaw final on Wednesday (28.05.25) and the coach believes that lifting European silverware could provide the launchpad for his young side to build a new era of success for the club.

Maresca said: "Hopefully it can be a starting point to build a winner mentality.

"You need to win games, you need to win competitions. And for sure, the trophy we won tonight is going to make us better."

Chelsea's trophy win comes after they secured qualification for the Champions League next season and Maresca feels that his players deserve more credit for their performances across a demanding campaign.

He said: "I’m very proud about the path or the journey we have done in the Premier League. But for me, it’s the most difficult competition in the world. You have to be consistent in 38 games. And these players, they showed.

"That’s why after Nottingham Forest, my outburst was a little bit exaggerated. But the reason why is just because in 38 games, you need to be consistent. And with the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League, it’s something unbelievable."

Cole Palmer was instrumental in Chelsea's dominant second half and Maresca was pleased that his team stepped up the demands of a final despite being heavy favourites to win the competition beforehand.

He said: "We all know that (Palmer) is a top player.

"We need to help him to be in the right position in the right moment. And then he’s a quality player. He can decide with a goal or with an assist, and as you said, the two assists have been both very nice.

"I said many times, we’re going to try to win the competition where we are in, where we play. This season, many times, people were talking about Champions League, Europa League.

"But you cannot win that competition if you play Conference. So our target was to win the Conference. Now, next season, we’re going to play Champions League. And we’ll see."