Gianfranco Zola does not believe Maurizio Sarri needs to win a trophy in his first season as Chelsea boss.
The Blues face Bournemouth in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup tonight and will be strong favourites at Stamford Bridge.
However, speaking at a press conference on the eve of the tie, assistant boss Zola insisted the main task is to build long-term success.
Asked if Sarri needs to deliver silverware this term, Zola said: “No, not really. The manager has to build up.
“We inherited a team that has won a lot in the past and we certainly want to achieve something, but we’re not in a hurry for that.
“We are structuring a team and a system that can be competitive in this league but also in Europe.
“The aim is to become one of the best teams in the country and in Europe. We know if we want to achieve that we need to think not only in the short term but also in the long term.”
Zola also believes Chelsea are making strides in terms of being the team Sarri wants
He said: “There are days when we are very close and some others where we go far!
“But this is part of the process. This team sometimes plays really the way Maurizio’s teams play but so far we haven’t managed to do it consistently and that is the target we have in front of us.”