Maresca excited to face 'football dad' in final
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says he is excited to face his "professional dad" after Manuel Pellegrini-managed Real Betis qualified for the Conference League final.
Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored as Chelsea won 1-0 on the night against Djurgarden and 5-1 on aggregate while Spanish club Betis needed extra time to beat Fiorentina 4-3 on aggregate over both legs.
The results have led to Maresca facing a manager he has both played under and worked alongside having been a member of Pellegrini's squad at Malaga before later becoming his assistant at West Ham.
Maresca admitted he was late for the press conference because he was watching Betis win in extra time and said of the result: "I'm happy to face Betis, especially because of Manuel Pellegrini. He is like my professional dad. So we'll be very happy.
"I had him four years, two as a player and two I was his coach, assistant coach. So I know exactly how he thinks about players, but the most important thing is that he's honest, he's a good person, he always tries to be honest with the player.
"And I try, personally, I try to learn a lot about his way."
Maresca also enjoyed the most successful part of his playing career at Betis's fierce rivals Sevilla, winning two Europa League trophies and a Super Cup, so expects to face crowd taunts.
"I played four years for Sevilla, that is a big derby against Betis," he said. "We also won the derby 1-0, and I scored a goal. I know that they don't like me, they don't love me.
"I met my wife in Seville, she's from Seville. My first son born in Seville. I played for Seville, but no doubt that I want to win the final."
Chelsea will want to finish the job in Wroclaw, Poland on 28 May, three days after the Premier League season finishes.
Maresca continued: "For me personally, it's very important, especially because we can give the chance to this club and these fans to be the first club in Europe to win all the competitions [having previously won the Champions League and Europa League].
"The Conference League is a starting point to build a winner mentality, and then to try to win more things and more titles."
Latest Chelsea news, analysis and fan views
Get Chelsea news sent straight to your phone
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
30 minutes ago
- New York Times
Liverpool agree €136.3m transfer of Florian Wirtz from Leverkusen
Liverpool have agreed a fee of €136.3million (£116m) to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. The fee is comprised of a €117.5m (£100m) upfront fee with a further €18.8m (£16m) in add-ons. The Athletic reported on June 6 that Liverpool had submitted an improved offer of €134million (£113m) for the Leverkusen playmaker. The bid, comprising a €118.7m (£100m) upfront fee with a further €15.4m (£13m) in add-ons, would see the majority of the money guaranteed. Advertisement That followed Liverpool's €130million (£109m) approach for the 22-year-old the week before, comprised of a guaranteed fee and potential add-ons. Liverpool do not intend to meet Leverkusen's reported asking price of €150m for Wirtz, while the German club do not wish for the player to reach the final year of his contract, which expires in 2027. was not rejected as such and talks continue in order to settle on a package that is acceptable to both sides, but Liverpool have no intention to bid as high as the reported €150m (£126.4m) asking price for the attacking midfielder. The discussions — led by Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes and Leverkusen managing director of sport Simon Rolfes — have been mainly focused on the structure and specifically payment terms, plus the nature of any add-ons. Wirtz was also targeted by Bayern Munich this summer, but the Bundesliga champions were informed in May that the playmaker favoured a move to Liverpool. He visited the north west of England to look for a property to live in, should his move to England proceed. The German midfielder recorded 16 goals and 15 assists in 45 matches last season as Leverkusen finished second in the Bundesliga and reached the Champions League round of 16, where they were defeated by Bayern. In the previous campaign, Wirtz played an instrumental role in securing his side's maiden German top-flight title with an unbeaten domestic season, alongside reaching the Europa League final. He scored 18 goals and assisted 20 in 49 matches, earning the Bundesliga player of the season accolade. Communication between Liverpool and Leverkusen had been opened early in the summer transfer window as the English club met the €35million (£29.6m; $39.3m) release clause for Jeremie Frimpong. The signing of the Dutch wing-back, on a five-year contract, was announced on May 30 following the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid ahead of the Club World Cup. Analysis by Mark Carey Arne Slot has most commonly used Dominik Szoboszlai as Liverpool's attacking midfielder in his first season as Liverpool head coach, but the Hungary international has not necessarily shown all the traits you would typically associate with a player in that position. Szoboszlai has been a crucial cog in Slot's system, but as much for his off-ball energy in and out of possession as any of his qualities with the ball at his feet. Advertisement Underlapping runs have been a crucial part of Liverpool's attacking play this season, with Szoboszlai's selfless running dragging opposition defenders with him — making space for the wingers to come inside and swing in back-post crosses to an onrushing team-mate. While his selfless running is valuable, a return of six Premier League goals and seven assists from 36 league appearances suggests there is room for improvement in Szoboszlai's attacking output — something Slot called out early on. Wirtz's basic attacking numbers are stronger, with 21 goals and 25 assists in the Bundesliga since the start of last season illustrating greater potency at the sharp end of the pitch, albeit while playing in a different league. They are different types of footballers. Wirtz is focused more on the micro, with delicate touches and deft flicks, compared to Szoboszlai's macro traits of energy and power. Both skill sets have their place depending on the opposition — if he joined them, Wirtz's close control and ball-carrying would add another dimension to Liverpool's attack rather than transform it. Wirtz's ability to play anywhere across the front line would add an extra layer of versatility to Slot's tactical setup, allowing him to rotate his attacking options during and between games without any decrease in quality. Whether dropping into pockets against deep blocks, pulling wide to evade his marker, or carrying the ball upfield single-handedly, Wirtz can do a bit of everything. Slot's first season has seen Liverpool scoring through their wide players rather than depending on a centre-forward. Wirtz could fit brilliantly into that mould, alleviating the need to sign a top striker, a notoriously difficult market. Given his youth, he could also help Liverpool prepare for life after Salah, who turns 33 this month. ()
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
📸 Total revamp as Athletic unveil their 2025/26 away kit
This June, the presentations of jerseys from various teams continue to fall. And today, Athletic has launched its new reserve jersey to the market. A jersey that represents the motto of not giving up that the lions carry out. In a predominantly blue tone, the color that has always accompanied the Club since its origin, Athletic has launched its new jersey. A jersey that carries the motto #BetiAusart. This jersey also features the ikurriña on the back, this time merged with the symbol of an "eguzkilore", the thistle flower of Basque mythology. An iconic jersey. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Homeless Brit who served 3 tours of Ukraine reveals horror - "50% of comrades died"
Jack Sutton, a 36-year-old British man from Birmingham and former private in the Staffordshire Mercian Regiment, served three six-month tours as an independent fighter in Ukraine following Russia's invasion in 2022. He describes his experience as "hell," witnessing the deaths of half his comrades, enduring constant danger on the front lines, and suffering severe trauma, including flashbacks and emotional struggles since returning home. Although he wanted to continue helping, repeated head injuries and psychological impact mean Jack can no longer return to the conflict, and he sees little hope for the war ending soon.
