Enzo Maresca has just previewed next week's Conference League final between Chelsea and Real Betis.
The Blues are looking to win the third-tier European trophy for the first time in the club's history as they travel to Wroclaw to take on Manuel Pellegrini 's Betis side. Eight days before the game, Maresca spoke to the media and looked ahead to the challenge ahead in Poland.
How special is it to be up against Manuel Pellegrini?
It's special as you said. I spent four years with Manuel. He's a reference for me because of his career, because of his history and especially because in terms of human being he's a top person. I define him like a professional dad because many times when I need to take big decisions we are in contact.
Will you speak to him before the game?
I spoke with Manuel yesterday to be honest. We are so close. We spoke in the past a lot and we'll continue to speak now in the present and in the future.
What did he say?
No, it's just that.
Focusing on the Conference League today, but you have a Premier League game on Sunday. What are you telling the players?
I didn't see the players since Man Utd again. So I will see them today because yesterday for a personal reason I wasn't here. And then we are Saturday and Sunday off. So I will see the players today and the focus is just in this moment just about knocking up. And then after the final we are going to be focused on the final.
You say that but you can't because they are all going to be wheeled out today to talk about the final. So how do you manage that?
I'm here to talk about the final with you not with the players. The players are going to talk to us as well about the final.
Have you played with Isco?
Yeah. He's a top player. Isco is a top player. His career speaks for himself. Many years with Real Madrid. We played together when Isco was very young. He joined us from Valencia. We are a top team. The striker was Ruud van Nistelrooy, we have Isco, We have Joaquin, we have Santi Cazorla, me [laughs]. That was a top team.
Are you happy with the preparation time you're going to get for this final? You play at four o'clock on the Sunday. Betis play on the Friday.
I'm not happy, 100%. You cannot allow a team 48 hours more than the other team when you play European competition final. So you think you should be allowed to play on Friday? Or they play Sunday like us.
Strongest XI for the final?
For each game we try to play our strongest XI. So if during the season we play Conference League with a different team or different players, but we were sure at that moment that for that game it wasn't the strongest one, we'll see for the final.
Have you made a decision on the goalkeeper?
Yeah, now Filip is going to play in the final.
And why is that?
Because he played all the competition. So it's unfair now that you are already in the final and he's not playing in the final. So for Betis game it will be Filip plus 10 players. I don't know which ones, the other 10 there, but for sure Filip is going to play because he deserves to play that final.
And any of the other players that have been injured, are they on course to be back?
No, at the moment Marc Guiu and Christopher Nkunku, they start to take part of our session, but they are both still not 100%.
How are you preparing for the pressure?
The main target is for sure, for the person it's important, but the main target is to win again the European competition with Chelsea. I think it's something important for the club in this moment, for the fans, for everyone, because it means that we are going in the right direction. And personally I will try to prepare the game exactly in the same way I prepare all the rest, because I consider every game important.
For sure it's a final that at the end decides the title, but we're going to try to prepare the game in our best and hopefully we can win the title.
Is it about winning the competition without building a winning mentality?
Very important, first of all because you need to build a winning mentality and you cannot win the Europa League or the Champions League if you are in the Conference. You are in that competition and you have to be focused to win that competition.
For sure this season helped the players to win games, and it's the only way to build a winning mentality. And now we are close to the last step and hopefully we can win the title.
What in particular did Manuel Pellegrini say to you to help you as a coach?
I try to learn things from all the managers. For sure if today I'm where I am it's also because of Manuel, the things that I learned with him in terms of how to manage players, how to manage changing rooms, how to manage difficult situations, noise around the club. He's a reference, he's very close in the way he manages things with Carlo Ancelotti, so they are quite close in that sense.
So I try to learn many things and then I had him as a player for two years and then almost two years I worked with him as a coach. So for me it was enough time to try to learn as much as possible from him.
Do you think he should go down as one of the great coaches?
If you see his history for sure, Real Madrid, won the Premier League with City, semi-final with Villarreal, Champions League, quarter-final, semi-final with Malaga, now final with Betis, for sure.
On the point around the scheduling, do you think that's something where UEFA need to step in and say that the Betis game has to be on Sunday, shouldn't be on Friday?
I don't know if it's from La Liga, from the Premier League or from UEFA. I think, I don't know how many we are in this room, but if I ask you if it's normal to play a final when a team has 48 hours more than the other team, it is not normal, it's not something correct. Now, if it's the UEFA, La Liga or the Premier League, I don't know.
Do do you think that there needs to be clear rules around these kind of games from UEFA because ultimately they're the ones who are going to control it?
Absolutely, yes.
Do you think there's a case to be made for Premier League clubs in future not taking part in the Conference League? The point of European competition is meant to be there to step up, and that clearly hasn't been the case for most of this season for Chelsea.
No, it's not my job to say that. My job is to say if it's correct or not, and for me it's not correct. Then if for defending, it's not my job.
Did you speak to Pellegrini before taking the Chelsea job?
Yes.
What did he say? What was his advice?
This is perfect. I was in Madrid on Sunday, watching Atletico Madrid Betis live. And as I said before, I spoke many times with Manuel in the past, also for the Chelsea job. In that kind of decision, I used to speak also with Manuel.
Does it put a strain on a friendship, a game like this? Because you're both fierce competitors.
Yeah, it's both we want to win, but he is going to try his best to prepare the game and win the game. I will do exactly the same. And then the good thing is that nothing changed after the game in terms of relation. I said before, we are very close with Manuel. We also live, when we don't work, we live in the same place. We live very close in Spain.
So it's not just about relation in football, it's relation in life. And Manuel's age is my dad's age. So when I used to sit next to people older than me, I always tried to learn because they can teach us at any moment because they have more experience than us. So Manuel is not just a colleague. For me, he's a reference and he's a top person. So you spend summers together, he comes round the pool, bars, all that sort of stuff.
Is Pellegrini the reason why Antony has improved at Betis?
I don't know.
Any academy players in the final?
We also use academy players in the Premier League, not just in the Conference. So when we see a young player, we give them a chance. The last game against Man United, our striker was suspended. Our second striker was injured. Our two wingers, they were out for different reasons. Jadon because not possible. Misha, it's already been a long time. And we play with the number nine. We try to be creative with the number nine from second team. So if they are good players, it's okay to allow them to play.
What are you most proud of from your first season at Chelsea?
In terms of learning, I said before, I try to learn from every game, every session, because I really believe that in any game you can learn. And in any session also, you can learn things. So I try to learn as much as I can from every game.
Also, I think it has been important to manage, you know, it'll be a different kind of situation since I joined the club. And in terms of proud, I really like, I think we are very close to finish the season. I think we have a good season that can become very good. In terms of numbers, we are improving. But most important thing is to see players that, from my point of view, they are improving. So in terms of manager, it's something that they feel proud.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Chelsea home kit
2025/26 Chelsea home kit
Chelsea have released their new home kit for next season, featuring the classic Chelsea blue and a subtle print inspired by London's iconic landmarks and creative culture.
from £64.99 Nike