Maresca: Red card in Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool was ‘worth it’ | OneFootball

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has joked that his red card at the end of his side’s recent 2-1 win over reigning Premier League champions Liverpool was ‘worth it’, and has also spoken about the ‘pressure’ he felt after his initial appointment at Stamford Bridge.

The Chelsea head coach was a guest speaker, along with the likes of Luciano Spalletti, Roberto Mancini and Zinedine Zidane, at the Festival dello Sport in Trento this weekend.

Maresca: Liverpool red card ‘worth it’, Chelsea ‘one of the biggest in the world’

The 45-year-old is fresh off a 2-1 victory over Premier League title hopefuls Liverpool, but was sent off with two minutes to go for a second bookable offence following Estevao’s late, injury-time winner.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 04: Estevao Willian (l) celebrates alongside Reece James after scoring the winning goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on October 04, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Maresca had been cautioned in the first half, and was then shown his second yellow of the game when he left his technical area to celebrate with his players in front of the fans.

Speaking on stage at the Festival dello Sport, Maresca explained why he felt quite so excited after the late winner against Chelsea, and joked that his sending off was ‘worth it’.

“It’s a great feeling. This is my second season at the club, but we’d never won in the last minute at home before,” Maresca said. “The reaction that led to the sending off was instinctive, but maybe it was worth it.

“We’re talking about one of the biggest clubs in the world, one that has struggled in recent years for various reasons.

“When I first signed, I felt the pressure of being the only Italian not to have won here (in Italy), but fortunately it hasn’t gone that way. Bringing this club back to the top is a very satisfying feeling.”

Maresca also spoke in-depth about his Club World Cup winning campaign over the summer and the final against ‘favourites’ PSG.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – JULY 13: Enzo Maresca, Head Coach of Chelsea FC, lifts the FIFA Club World Cup trophy after his team’s victory following the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

“We had a great game. It was a classic situation: Everyone had them (PSG) as favourites. We beat a team that, I think, were the strongest in the world at that moment. But I don’t go into work every day because we won the World Championship, I do it because I love it. I don’t wake up in the morning thinking about the titles we’ve won.

“We played seven different games. We tried to make changes and tried to surprise opponents. It went well. There were several injuries, but it was worth it and I wouldn’t change anything given the result. The trophy is wonderful, even if it is a bit heavy.”

Prior to the Club World Cup, Chelsea were also crowned Conference League champions, which means that they are now the only side to have won all three of the Champions, Europa and Conference Leagues.

“It was the only competition we could win,” Maresca explained. “I convinced my players that it was the most important thing in the world. And so, we won two titles in two months.”