Maresca Aims To Make Chelsea History In UEFA Conference League Final

Enzo Maresca has a clear goal as he prepares to lead Chelsea in Wednesday’s UEFA Conference League final against Real Betis — to make football history.

Chelsea secured their spot in next season’s Champions League with a crucial 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday, but Maresca’s focus has already shifted to Wroclaw, where the Blues have the chance to become the first club to win all five of UEFA’s major men’s club competitions.

Chelsea has previously won the Champions League, Europa League, Super Cup, and the now-defunct Cup Winners’ Cup twice each. A win against Betis in Europe’s newest tournament would complete the set.

Maresca’s first season at Stamford Bridge has been a rollercoaster since he replaced Mauricio Pochettino. His team was close to Premier League leaders Liverpool in December but then faltered mid-season before recovering in recent months.

Following Sunday’s win that sealed fourth place, Maresca expressed frustration with his critics, especially those who doubted his youthful squad.

“All the ones that think they are the answer, or all the ones that think they are the truth, they were saying that we are too young, we are not good enough,” he said.

“Unfortunately for them, they’ll be all wrong, the ones that (think) they are the truth and they have the answer for everything.”

Despite criticism over cautious tactics, Maresca told UEFA.com that winning the Conference League would elevate Chelsea’s season from good to “great”.

“It would be a way of saying that we are back and that we are a winning club in Europe, and we hope to achieve just that.”

Since the takeover by Todd Boehly’s consortium in 2022, Chelsea has yet to win any silverware. The 2021 European champions entered the Conference League as clear favourites and have won 11 of their 12 matches so far.

Former Leicester City manager Maresca, 45, has used the competition to rotate his squad, giving youth and fringe players opportunities. He has also stressed the importance of squad changes ahead of Wednesday’s final.

Pellegrini: Maresca’s “Father Figure”

Maresca will face off against Manuel Pellegrini, 71, whom he calls a football “father figure”. Maresca played under Pellegrini at Malaga and later served as his assistant coach at West Ham.

“I am where I am today thanks to him,” Maresca said.

“I worked with Manuel for four years — two years as a player and two years as part of his staff. So, I owe so much to him in terms of what I’ve achieved.

“I am grateful for the relationship we have and the advice he gives me. He told me never to change.”

Pellegrini, an experienced former Real Madrid and Manchester City manager whose team finished sixth in La Liga this season, praised Maresca’s coaching potential.

“You can often tell which players might go on to be good coaches — from the impression they have on others, how they absorb concepts in training,” he said.

“With both Enzo and Willy (Caballero, Chelsea assistant coach), I was sure they’d go on to become influential coaches on a global level.”

Betis, playing in their first European final, can call on the talents of Antony, rejuvenated on loan from Manchester United, and Isco, who won five Champions League titles with Real Madrid.

They can also draw confidence from a remarkable record: since the 2001/02 season, all 23 Champions League, Europa League, or Conference League finals involving Spanish teams have been won by a Spanish club.

Looking ahead to the final in Wroclaw, Pellegrini said he wants to put on a memorable display.

“We all know that winning is always very important, but I think that how you win makes it even more important,” he said.