Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca hails Estevao Willian and Cole Palmer as the reason fans pay to watch the team.

Enzo Maresca, the Chelsea boss, has praised Estevao Willian and Cole Palmer as the type of players that make fans pay to watch the team. 

The Italian manager was responding to criticism over his decision not to start the 18-year-old Brazilian against Wolves, despite his impressive performance against Qarabag in the Champions League earlier this week.

Maresca brought Estevao on in the 64th minute against Wolves, and the youngster made an instant impact, providing the cross for Joao Pedro’s goal. The Chelsea manager believes that players like Estevao and Palmer are the reason fans are happy to pay to watch the team.

“Yeah, you can see that, absolutely,” Maresca said. “His talent is top. Again, we are trying to help him adapt and give him the right minutes, and he’s doing fantastic. He will be for this club, in the next five or ten years, a top, top player.”

Maresca emphasized that fans want to see players like Estevao and Palmer on the pitch, citing the energy and excitement they bring to the game. “I said already twice that the reason fans pay tickets is because they want to see players like Estevao and Cole [Palmer] because people are happy when they are on the pitch.”

The Chelsea boss believes that Estevao is on the right path, and with time, he will become a regular starter for the team. “Slowly, slowly, he’s going to start games for us in the future. And then when Estevao was on the pitch, the energy rose because people loved that kind of player, so we are happy he can help the team and the fans can be happy.”