Enzo Maresca makes Chelsea priority crystal clear before Conference League final
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca wants a return to the Champions League confirmed before Real Betis clash against former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini
Enzo Maresca has claimed Chelsea have three 'Premier League finals' before facing his 'professional dad' Manuel Pellegrini in the UEFA Conference final. The Blues will bid to end an inconsistent season on a high by beating Real Betis and winning the first silverware of the post-Abramovich era on May 28
But first the Italian head coach has challenged the 2021 Champions League winners to seal a return to Europe's top club competition by winning their last three league matches - starting with Sunday's trip to Newcastle.
'We have 20 days to prepare for the final,' said the Italian. 'Before that we have three more Premier League finals and hopefully we can finish in the right way.
'Newcastle is a big one, it's a huge one. Then Manchester United will be a big one, Nottingham Forrest will be a big one. All of them are going to be big games. For sure, Sunday is a chance to start in the right way.
'The players need to be focused on the Newcastle game because it's the next one and for us, it has to be like thinking that it's the last game of the season, give everything and then we'll see at the end.'
Chelsea and Newcastle are locked together on 63 points and a goal difference of plus 21. And they each have one victory against each other this season with Alexander Isak scoring in both games - the West London club's 2-1 home Premier League win and Newcastle's Carabao Cup victory at St James' Park.
'I think Isak is a top player but stopping him is not enough,' added Maresca. 'There are more players so we need to work as a team and we need to stop them as a team.'
Chelsea racked up a fifth consecutive win in all competitions by beating Swedish side Djurgarden in the Conference League semi-finals on Thursday night in a team seeing 10 changes - and have to go again at midday on Sunday.
'It's not the ideal situation,' admitted Maresca. 'It's first thing in the morning, but we need to play the game and hopefully we can continue our good moment.'
Real Betis will be playing their first ever European final but Pellegrini - and Manchester United loanee Antony - are familiar faces.
Maresca played for the former Manchester City boss for two years at Malaga and then was assistant to him at West Ham. 'He is one of my professional dads,' said the Blues boss. '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 knows about the heat of football passion in southern Spain after playing for Real Betis' local rivals.
"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."
The Chelsea Supporters Trust has called for an investigation into 'the most serious breach of stadium security in recent memory' after Djurgarden fans had tickets for home sections for the semi-final at Stamford Bridge.
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