Enzo Maresca has admitted Chelsea are not targeting Champions League qualification this season, as the club's owners have decided to take a longer term approach to achieve success.
Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have sacked three managers in two years since taking over from Roman Abramovich in May 2022, and signed 35 players in the same period, but Maresca has been told he is under no pressure to deliver a top four finish in his first season.
The Italian, who led Leicester to the Championship title in his first season at the club, has instead been told that signs of progress will be enough.
'What I can say is that nobody from the club asked me for the Champions League this year. Nobody said that we need to finish in the first four,' Maresca said on Friday.
'What they said is that we need to arrive and compete, step by step.'
Enzo Maresca has admitted that Chelsea are not targeting Champions League qualification
He claims Chelsea's owners (Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly pictured) have decided to take a longer term approach to achieve success despite sacking three managers in just two years
Chelsea have a bloated squad with Pedro Neto (centre) the latest addition at Stamford Bridge
Asked if the club's hierarchy had given him any targets for the season, Maresca replied: 'Just to have the feeling that we are going in the right direction. This is a very good target already when the owner, sporting directors, the manager and the players all have the same idea - that we are going in the same direction.
'If it is not now then probably it could be in one month, two months, in one year but we will be there very soon.'
He also knows Chelsea have a tough job closing the gap on those teams above them, having finished sixth after spending most of last season in mid-table, and qualifying for the Europa Conference League.
'My dream is to compete with the teams that dominate the top four. But we know to cross that gap is not automatic. We need to work every day together. We have to be together. Nobody has said that we need to be in the top four otherwise we have failed. Nobody.'
'The reason we are looking for something for five years is because we want to be consistent in what we do.'
Conor Gallagher has returned and is train apart from the first team after his proposed move to Atletico Madrid stalled, and Maresca knows that his bloated squad is too large.
Another player likely to leave is Ben Chilwell, who has not featured in the past three friendlies and played only 64 minutes during the previous three games. Maresca said the England left-back should look for another club.
'Chilly is with us but he has not been training for the last few days because he has been ill. With Chilly it is quite clear, even though I love the way he is, the problem is that he is struggling to find the right position with us. This is the reason why he did not play against Inter last week.
Chelsea start their Premier League campaign against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon
Ben Chilwell and Conor Gallagher are among those who could leave the club this summer
Asked if Chilwell could be sold, Maresca responded: 'This morning we had 22 players training and if you ask all of them they want to play against City on Sunday but that is impossible. When you train every day and not get any minutes it is not good for them or for me and I need to make a decision. Probably it is better to leave and go and get minutes.The transfer window is open so we will see what will happen.'
Chelsea start the season on Sunday with the visit of Manchester City, where Maresca was assistant to Pep Guardiola for two years.
He said: 'I have been quite lucky, because I worked under Carlo Ancelotti as a player, under Lippi as a player, under Pellegrini as a player and then as assistant coach, and then with Pep for two seasons.
'I try to take things from all of them and to create my own 'box', you know, to put everything inside.
'I consider Pep not a manager, I consider him a genius. When you are there and you are close, you try to see things and try to to learn and to make your own idea.'