Palmeiras Boss to Chelsea's Maresca: 'Embrace' Estêvão After CWC Defeat

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has received advice from Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira to "embrace" and "take care of" teenage sensation Estêvão Willian. This comes after Estêvão's impressive goal against his future club in the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals.

Despite Estêvão's stunning strike, an own goal in the 83rd minute by Palmeiras goalkeeper Weverton secured a 2-1 victory for Chelsea in Philadelphia. This win propelled Chelsea into the semifinals, where they will face Fluminense in New Jersey next Tuesday. Cole Palmer had earlier opened the scoring for Chelsea in the first half.

Estêvão Shines in Final Palmeiras Appearance

18-year-old Estêvão, who was named Player of the Match, made his final appearance for Palmeiras before officially joining Chelsea later this month. The London club finalized a £33.8m ($46.1m) deal for Estêvão a year ago, subsequently loaning him back to the Brazilian side.

Ferreira emphasized the importance of carefully managing the young talent to unlock his full potential.

"I spoke before with Maresca," Ferreira told reporters. "He is a nice coach and I told him. 'You bought an amazing player, but more than this you bought an amazing person.'"

He added, "He is a kid that is 18 years old so Chelsea need to take care of him. They need to embrace him because in the beginning, for sure, he will make mistakes."

A Game-Changing Talent

Ferreira highlighted Estêvão's exceptional abilities: "Like you saw today, he is an amazing player with a lot of skill. He is a player who can win a game alone."

He also noted Estêvão's surprising strength: "When he started with Palmeiras, my first thought was that he wasn't too strong, but he's really good and has a lot of strength."

Ferreira continued, "He looks really slim, but he is strong. He's fast with his dribbling, he is an amazing player, and he is tough. Chelsea paid a lot for him, so congratulations Chelsea, because you have an amazing player."

Adapting to England

Ferreira also shared that he has given Estêvão some lighthearted advice about life in England.

"I told him the sun is not the same!" Ferreira joked. "In England it appears maybe 2-3 times a year and the night comes early."

He concluded, "I am sure Chelsea have all the conditions to support him. He's a fantastic player, but he needs the help, for sure."

Maresca echoed Ferreira's sentiments after witnessing Estêvão's performance.

"I'm happy because we won and also happy because Estêvão scored," Maresca said. "The perfect night."

He added, "He is very good, a huge talent, fantastic player. The only thing is when you come from South America or another part of the world is that you need to adapt, but we are going to help him. We have no doubt he will be an important player for Chelsea."