“How he thinks about players” – Enzo Maresca has inside info ahead of European cup final | OneFootball

The Blues are into the Conference League cup final and head coach Enzo Maresca might have some inside info ahead of it.

The news comes after Chelsea beat Djurgarden 1-0 at Stamford Bridge last night in the return leg of their Conference League cup semi-final match, winning the overall tie 5-1.

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Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall grabbed the only goal of the game and afterwards he says that him and his team mates really deserve credit for getting to the final, despite the competition not being the strongest one around.

Although Maresca has also hinted that he could end up breaking some hearts with his cup final starting team selection as he goes all out to try and win the final at the end of this month.

Betis up in the final

Chelsea will face Real Betis in the Conference League cup final on May the 28th, and this will be by far the toughest opposition they have met in this competition and the only team that will give them a proper game in all honesty.

Betis beat Fiorentina in their semi-final clash, although the Italian side took them right down to the wire and came close to going through themselves.

Old pals will meet

The results have led to Maresca facing a manager he has both played under and worked alongside having been a member of Manuel Pellegrini’s squad at Malaga before later becoming his assistant at West Ham. Pellegrini is now managing Betis.

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.”

Quotes via The BBC.