Maresca on Chelsea's Conference League final against Betis and club world cup
27/05/2025
uefa25 conference league final Chelsea v Real Betis
27/05/2025
uefa25 conference league final Chelsea v Real Betis
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00:00Hi, everyone. Welcome. Welcome to Wrocław, and welcome to the Matchday Minus One press conference with Chelsea for the 2025 UEFA Conference League final.
00:12On stage with me is head coach Enzo Mareska. As a reminder, we have translations available in English, Polish, and Spanish.
00:20Please ask a question in one of these languages. Please, only one question, and state your name and media.
00:26Let's go ahead and get started. Tom?
00:30Who wants to get us started? Nizar?
00:42Yeah, for sure. The mood is a good one. It's a good mood. It's a consequence from the last game.
00:50But we know that the final is completely different because it's one game. Anything can happen.
00:57But overall, the mood is very good, yeah.
01:08I just met him outside and all the staff and some of the players that I know for different reasons.
01:16And, yeah, we just see each other.
01:19Can we wait for the microphones, please, when they arrive? John?
01:23Hello, Enzo. I just wonder, having qualified for the Champions League Sunday, if you follow that up with the European Trophy,
01:30what will that mean as a season overall? How do you view that season from a position where you started last summer?
01:38Well, let me think that we qualify that. We feel much better.
01:42Much better. I said a few times during the season that, for me, it was already a good season for different reasons.
01:53And can become a very good season if we finish top four, top five, and if we are able to win the final tomorrow.
02:04The first target is there. We achieved that last Sunday. And hopefully we can achieve tomorrow the second one.
02:11Out here, please.
02:27Can I answer in Spanish?
02:28Yes.
02:29No.
02:30No.
02:31Ante todo, es una final entre Chelsea y Betis. Entonces, simplemente estoy aquà representando a Chelsea y mi pensamiento, mi focus, está solamente en esto.
02:47Luego el Betis creo que es un equipo que este año lo ha hecho muy bien. Le ha ganado también un equipo importante en España.
02:54Y es un equipo que es peligroso ante todo por lo que quiere el entrenador y luego por la calidad de jugadores que tiene.
03:06Andy.
03:07Hola, Enzo.
03:09Hola.
03:10Si te voy a volver a Sunday, vimos a Levi Colwell en el pincel, hablando de los crÃticos de Chelsea y lo dijo en televisión.
03:21You swore in a press conference as well, talking about the critics of Chelsea.
03:26It feels to me almost like the siege mentality is back at Chelsea.
03:32Chelsea used to thrive on that because people never liked them that much.
03:36Does it feel like that, that there is a siege mentality building at Chelsea?
03:40And also I wonder if, did you get in trouble with your wife for swearing with your daughter sitting next to you at a press conference?
03:47First of all, I think it's a good feeling that the players react when there are some critics.
04:03So I think it's a good reaction from the players.
04:08Then Levi's reaction, May's reaction was just an outburst for the moment.
04:17And the reason why is because in our bad moment or bad run during the season,
04:25I mean February, March when we draw points, many people were talking from our point of view,
04:36they were not talking in the right way.
04:38And the reason why is because, yes, we are young, yes, we are the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League.
04:55But at the same time, they are men.
04:59So I also use that critics to say, guys, today is a chance that we can say that we are not young,
05:07we are mature enough, we can compete and we can do the right things.
05:10So I think Levi's reaction, May's reaction, different players that they react, it was just an outburst.
05:20In here, please.
05:22Was your wife upset with you for swearing?
05:24No, she was very happy, she was at the stadium.
05:27She was happy?
05:28Yeah.
05:29I have four kids, so she was at the stadium with the four kids, so we were all happy after the game.
05:34Even with you swearing?
05:35Everywhere, thank you.
05:37Yes, please.
05:39Coach, Harit Zataryan from Armenia, Chelsea was facing with FC Noa in London.
05:46And from that time, there were a lot of talks in Armenia that this is a finalist.
05:51So how is the feeling that from that time when you were in the league group stage, you were already in the mentality of being a favourite of the tournament.
06:00So how is the feeling of being this favourite?
06:03And one more question, if I may, short one.
06:06This is a trophy which is missing in the Chelsea Museum.
06:10So if you will win, they will be your name as a head coach of the team.
06:15So feeling about that as well, thank you.
06:17Probably the most complicated team, the most complicated thing this season about the conference has been to convince the player that for us was the best competition in the world.
06:31And the reason why was because it was the competition that we were in.
06:34So every game has been difficult, especially because I needed to convince the player that we were not able to drop nothing because you can lose points against any team.
06:48And we need to respect any team in Europe and any team that we face.
06:53And then I am not focused on winning this competition or with this trophy because of my name.
07:05For sure I am happy if we win, but I am especially happy for the club, for the fans.
07:10And as you said, also because Chelsea can become the first club in Europe to win all the European competition.
07:17Simon.
07:18Sorry, please just a reminder to use the microphone.
07:22Got the mic here.
07:24Hi Enzo.
07:25Nicholas Jackson, what kind of mood is he in?
07:29Do you get the feeling that he's hungry to make amends for his red card?
07:35And have you told him to channel that sort of energy in the right way to watch his discipline?
07:42I hope so.
07:43I hope so because I think Niko is in doubt with his teammates.
07:50And the reason why is because in that moment Newcastle away was for us the most important game.
07:58And he left his teammates with 10 players for one hour.
08:02So for sure he's in doubt.
08:04For sure he's a good guy.
08:06For sure he recognised the mistake.
08:08He apologised with his teammates.
08:10That is very important.
08:11And I'm sure that tomorrow he's going to do a very good game for us.
08:15Jacob.
08:17Hi Enzo.
08:18It's been suggested at times that this competition is maybe not the most important thing for Chelsea.
08:25But from your experience as a player, what does winning that first piece of silverware do to the team's mentality?
08:32Is it important for these players just to get that first taste of it and just become hungry for more and more?
08:38The conference is important.
08:40For us it has been important since day one.
08:42And the reason why is because it's the competition that we are in.
08:47We cannot play Champions League if we are a conference or we cannot play Europa.
08:52We are in a conference so for us it was the most important competition.
08:56We need to try to win that.
08:59If we are able to win, I think it's a good thing.
09:02Especially because we continue to build the winner mentality.
09:06That I said many times, to build a winner mentality there is only one way.
09:09Win games.
09:10You cannot build a winner mentality if you don't win games.
09:13I think we won many games this season, but it's not enough.
09:19Sunday game is finished.
09:21We qualify.
09:22We are all happy.
09:23But tomorrow we need to show again the desire to win the title and to win the game.
09:28In the front, please.
09:29What's up, Mr. Gonzalo Tosa, from Chiringuitón Español.
09:32Can you say?
09:33Now on the radio, they asked you what Chelsea doesn't have the Betis.
09:36And he said that, above all, he has money.
09:38Is that the difference between Betis and Chelsea?
09:43I personally believe that with money, they won't win games.
09:49They won't win games.
09:50Then, I've spent two years of my career as a player with Isco.
09:54I know him quite well.
09:56He's a phenomenal player.
09:58And tomorrow will be a football game.
10:03Gary.
10:04Enzo, hello.
10:05Hi.
10:06Obviously, job done really in terms of the big aim this season.
10:11You had two seasons to get Chelsea into the Champions League.
10:13You've done it in your first season.
10:15How do you get the team to react so they say,
10:18right, we're up for this now.
10:20We've got extra confidence.
10:21We can relax.
10:22As opposed to, job done.
10:24We don't need to bother too much about this game.
10:26No, the message in the last 48 hours has been,
10:32we did something important.
10:36But if we want to confirm that we are becoming an important club,
10:43we need to show the desire to win the title, to win the game.
10:48So, as you said, job done, fantastic, all happy.
10:51But tomorrow is a different game.
10:53It's a final.
10:55And it's a game that we want to win at any cost.
10:59Down here, please.
11:00Angela Cien, for Canal Sur Televisión.
11:02Has definido a Manuel Pellegrini como uno de tus padres profesionales.
11:06¿Cuál ha sido la lección más valiosa, la enseñanza que has aprendido con él?
11:11¿Y quién conoce mejor a quién, el padre o el hijo?
11:16He aprendido muchas cosas de Manuel, pero si me tengo que quedar con una cosa,
11:20que él siempre me decÃa de tratar a los jugadores como si fueran tus hijos.
11:25Yo acabo de decirle al señor que tengo cuatro y 25 más que tengo dentro.
11:30Y es algo que me he quedado entre las cosas que he podido aprender con Manuel.
11:38Y luego, si lo conozco yo más o me conoce yo, yo creo que nos conocemos los dos.
11:45Over here, please.
11:47Alright, Enzo.
11:49In many ways, you've overachieved in your first season at Chelsea.
11:53But judging from your reaction at the weekend,
11:56do you still feel you have something to prove in this match?
11:59Every day, no doubt.
12:02I just said that what we have done is done.
12:06Now we have proved ourselves tomorrow that we can win a title.
12:12We play many games this season in this competition,
12:17now we have just one more.
12:18But for sure, me personally, but the message for the players is exactly the same.
12:23Every day is a chance to prove that we want to improve and we want to compete for important titles.
12:30Ben.
12:31Hi Enzo.
12:32Just a quick word on Mischa who is here in Poland as well.
12:36How pleased are you to see Mudrik being able to watch the final and play a part
12:43and potentially even receive a medal?
12:45To be honest, I don't know, he's here or he's coming?
12:49He's here, but I don't know.
12:51Happy for Mischa to be here.
12:53I don't know, just happy for Mischa to be here.
12:56Jadon Sancho, is it possible this could be his last game for the club?
13:03I don't know.
13:05I said that in the last weeks you asked me about different players,
13:09I always said the same and the reason why is because it is true.
13:12It's not the moment we have tomorrow final, then in 24 hours, 48 hours,
13:18we're going to start to talk about the future.
13:21But in this moment there is not any thought or any decision made on Jadon
13:26or on different players.
13:28Kieran.
13:29Hi Enzo, how are you?
13:30Can I just check, when you're mentioning about Chelsea's critics over the season
13:34and the doubters who were telling you you're too young etc.
13:38Are you referring to us in the media?
13:41Is it the fans? Is it pundits?
13:43No.
13:44Who are you referring to?
13:46No, no, no for the fans absolutely,
13:48because I think they have been on our side all season for sure.
13:53We said many times when we win games they are happy,
13:55but also if we win games I'm happy, if we don't win I'm upset,
13:59so it's normal.
14:00No, no, absolutely it's not for the fans.
14:03It's just in the moment that we draw points,
14:06people were talking about us for me in the wrong way,
14:12again, probably for them in the right way,
14:15but for me it was in the wrong way,
14:17so for me it was just a way to defend the players
14:20and it was just an outburst after the game.
14:24And we will finish with Peter.
14:26Hi Enzo, you've spoken about the impact winning a trophy
14:30could have for your players,
14:32and I was wondering if it's been conveyed to you about the impact it could have
14:35for the ownership in terms of winning their first trophy,
14:38what that could do for the club and whether you've had those conversations with them.
14:41I think it's important for everyone.
14:44You can see the other day how happy they were,
14:48also celebrate inside the pitch,
14:50and I think it's something normal,
14:52you know, when you arrive,
14:55you are new,
14:56two, three years here,
14:57you invest money
14:59and finally you can reach something important.
15:02I think it's also something good for them, for everyone.
15:06And hopefully tomorrow we can continue to give them,
15:09the fans, the club in general,
15:11another trophy.
15:13Okay, thanks everyone.
15:16We'll be back shortly with Rhys James and Levi Colwell.