Days after clinching Champions League qualification, Chelsea won a first trophy under their new Boehly/Clearlake ownership.
Maresca said after the 4-1 victory over Real Betis: "Hopefully, it can be a starting point.
"To build a winning mentality, you need to win games and competitions. For sure, the trophy we won tonight will make us better.
"But also, I’m very proud of the path, the journey, we have done in the Premier League. That is the most difficult competition in the world, you need to be consistent over 38 games, and these players showed that.
"It's why, after Nottingham Forest, my outburst was exaggerated. But over 38 games, you have to be consistent and with the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League, it is something unbelievable."