Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca criticises UEFA’s lack of regulation in final build-up | OneFootball

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca criticised UEFA’s lack of regulation in the build-up to the Conference League final, with opponents Real Betis given 48 hours extra to prepare for next Wednesday’s showpiece in Wroclaw.

The LaLiga side play their final league match of the season on Friday evening, almost two days before the Blues’ crucial Premier League meeting with Nottingham Forest that will decide their Champions League fate.

Maresca’s side need to win at the City Ground on Sunday to ensure a top-five finish and fend off the challenge from Forest and, more immediately, from Aston Villa who trail them only on goal difference.

Betis by contrast have nothing to play for when they face Valencia, with Manuel Pellegrini’s team already certain of finishing sixth.

“I’m not happy, one hundred per cent,” said Maresca. “You cannot allow a team 48 hours more than the other team when you play a European final.”

Asked whether Chelsea should be allowed to play Forest on Friday, he said: “Or (Betis) play Sunday, like us.”

The matter is complicated by UEFA having limited jurisdiction over the scheduling of domestic fixtures.

Europe’s governing body has a general rule that league games should not be played on evenings when Champions League matches are taking place, though there have been instances of the rule being relaxed during periods of fixture congestion.

The Premier League has a long-standing policy that all 10 final-day games kick off simultaneously on a Sunday afternoon.

LaLiga however has no such tradition and Betis’ game is the only one of the final round of games brought forward to Friday.

“I don’t know if it’s from LaLiga, from the Premier League or from UEFA,” said Maresca. “If I ask you is it normal to play a final where a team has 48 hours more than the other team? It’s not normal. It’s not something correct.

Asked whether UEFA needed to apply clearer rules, he replied: “Absolutely yes.”

The match in Poland will bring Maresca up against former Manchester City and Real Madrid manager Pellegrini, whom he described as being “like a professional dad”.

The Betis coach managed Maresca during his later years as a player at Malaga before employing him as an assistant when he was in charge at West Ham between 2018 and 2019.

The Italian revealed he sought the advice of Pellegrini before he accepted the Chelsea job last June.

“I spent four years with Manuel,” said Maresca. “He’s a reference for me because of his career and especially because in terms a human being, he is a top person.

“I define him like a professional dad because many times when I’ve needed to take a big decision, we are in contact.

“I spoke with Manuel yesterday. We are so close.”

Maresca confirmed that goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen would start the final having been the number one throughout the European season.

“Filip is going to play the final because he played all the competition so it would be unfair not to play in the final. For Betis, it will be Filip plus 10 players.”