La Liga have rescheduled a Betis fixture to give the Spanish side extra rest ahead of the final
Enzo Maresca is unhappy that Real Betis will enjoy two extra days of rest ahead of the tournament decider
Enzo Maresca is unhappy that Real Betis will enjoy two extra days of rest ahead of the tournament decider (PA Wire)
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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has expressed his disapproval that Real Betis will be afforded two extra days of rest ahead of the Conference League final after La Liga accepted a request to reschedule a fixture.
The two sides meet in Wroclaw on Wednesday 28 May in the competition decider and had both been due to play their final games of their league campaigns on Sunday.
However the Seville club’s encounter with Valencia has been brought forward to Friday evening, giving Manuel Pellegrini’s side extra preparation time ahead of the trip to Poland.
All of the Premier League final-round fixtures will kick off simultaneously on Sunday afternoon to prevent clubs enjoying a competitive advantage, with Chelsea travelling to face Nottingham Forest in a key clash in the chase for a Champions League qualification place.
And Maresca believes the fact that Betis will enjoy greater rest ahead of the final is wrong.
“I'm not happy,” the Chelsea manager stressed. “100%, you cannot allow another team 48 hours more when you play a European final.
"[Either we play on Friday] or they play Sunday like us. I don't know if it is from La Liga, the Premier League or Uefa, but if you ask people in this room if it is normal to play a final where another team has 48 hours more to prepare, it is not normal."
Chelsea will qualify for the Europa League with victory in the tertiary tier of European competition, though will want to secure a top-five finish to return to the Champions League.
Maresca has confirmed that Filip Jorgensen will start the final having been his chosen goalkeeper throughout the Conference League campaign, while both Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu are doubts.