Super Eagles legend Mikel Obi warns of Chelsea doom under Enzo Maresca

Former Chelsea and Super Eagles midfielder John Obi Mikel has expressed serious doubts about Chelsea's prospects under their current manager, Enzo Maresca, as the Blues prepare to kick off their Premier League campaign against Manchester City.

The former Nigerian national team captain, who enjoyed a successful career at Stamford Bridge, is concerned about Maresca's ability to restore the club to its former glory.

In a recent appearance on Bein Sports, Mikel voiced his scepticism about Maresca's long-term future at Chelsea, saying, “He [Enzo Maresca] was talking about a two, three-year project. Is he going to get that with these new owners?”

He was also keen to point out that Chelsea needed to pick themselves up after recent poor seasonings, adding, “We have to start well this season.

“We can’t have another bad season because the last three seasons have been really bad,” before confessing that he did not believe that the current manager was capable of leading the Blues out of the doldrums, noting, “Enzo Maresca has got his hands full with this football club... I don't see us having a good season.”

Beyond his concerns about Maresca, Mikel also criticised the overall direction in which Chelsea is heading, saying, “We don’t want to be a midtable club. Chelsea Football Club is a club that always competes to win the Premier League and being in the Champions League. That’s where we’ve always been, and we want to get back to that.

“I spoke with the sporting director [of Chelsea] when I went back to London, and he was telling me about the whole five-year or ten-year project. There is no five, ten-year project, we want to win now.”

Chelsea officially begin the Maresca era when they take on reigning Champions Manchester City in the opening game of the 2024/25 season, but fans of the Blues who agree with Mikel might will not be looking forward to the new campaign, which is supposedly doomed from the start.