Chelsea can ‘dominate’ English soccer in next 5-10 years after $1B spend, Maresca says

By Steve Douglas

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca believes the club has the platform to “dominate” English soccer in the coming years.

Maresca on Tuesday repeated his assertion that Chelsea shouldn’t be deemed a contender in the Premier League title race, even though his team is third in the standings and tied on points with second-placed Arsenal. They are nine points behind Liverpool.

However, the Italian coach was more bullish about Chelsea’s long-term prospects.

“The good thing is, I still think what I said to the owners and the sporting director the first time I met them,” said Maresca, who joined Chelsea in June. “Because of the age and because of how good the squad is, for me Chelsea in the next five to 10 years will be one of the teams — or the team — to dominate English football.

“This is what I said to the club the first time I met