Enzo Maresca hit back with Chelsea's critics after the Blues Champions League football was protected for the first time since 2022 with a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Levi Colwill's Close-Range Finish Five minutes after the break, the difference was on the city ground, with Chelsea ending the campaign in fourth position.
Indeed, their victory over Forest saw the blues win and a clean slate in a Premier League road competition for the first time since September, when they defeated West Ham 3-0.
A lot was made about Chelsea's young team during their first season under Maresca, with the team tipped to challenge at the top after a great start.
Indeed, the average age of Chelsea's starting XI in the top flight this season was 24 years and 36 days – the youngest ever by a team in a single campaign in the competition.
Inconsistency in December and January, in which the blues saw four league games go without a victory, many saw that they would have trouble ending in the top five.
Six victories in their last nine games of the season saw Chelsea Seal a return to Europe's Elite competition, in which Maresca sent a message to the doubters of his team.
“I didn't hesitate about the players,” said Maresca in his press conference after the game. “The doubt was from outside.
“All those who have the answers or those who have the truth, they said we are too young, we are not good enough that we were waiting for Aston Villa to drop points for us to reach the Champions League.
'They said we were unable to win on this field [at Forest] Because we are too young because we are not experienced.
“Unfortunately for them they all had wrong. All those who have the truth and have the answer to everything.
“So in English, how do you say?
See you, @ChampionsLeague. pic.twitter.com/pavtx7t9mo
– Chelsea FC (@chelseafc) 25 May 2025
It was also the first time that Chelsea would appear in the Champions League under the current property, led by Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.
“Twelve two seasons ago, sixth last season, celebrated this season, with probably the youngest team in the history of the Premier League,” Maresca added.
“[Manchester] City lost here, Arsenal pulled here, Liverpool pulled here. Chelsea won. It's not easy. The players showed how good they are.
“Unfortunately we are in a company where people – you – judge us because of the results.
“Today, if we couldn't win the game, you would probably all judge this season as a disaster.”
Chelsea will now focus their attention on the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday, where they are confronted with real betis in Wroclaw.