Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca says he had to convince his players that the UEFA Conference League was “the best competition in the world” as the Premier League side gears up for a potentially historic final against Real Betis later today, May 28.
Enzo Maresca, in his debut season at Stamford Bridge, is on the brink of achieving a unique feat—making Chelsea the first club to win all four major UEFA competitions.
The Blues, already Champions League, Europa League, and Cup Winners’ Cup winners, will complete the set if they win the Conference League in Wroclaw tonight.
“Probably the most complicated thing this season about the Conference League has been to convince the players that for us, it was the best competition in the world,” Maresca said in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “And the reason why was because it was the competition that we were in.”
Despite Chelsea’s rich European pedigree, they have not lifted silverware since winning the Champions League in 2021 under Thomas Tuchel, now manager of the England national team.
With Champions League qualification for next season already secured following a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday, Maresca aims to finish the campaign with a statement.
“We cannot play the Champions League if we are in the Conference. We are in the Conference, so for us, it was the most important competition, and we need to try to win that,” the 45-year-old said. “If we can win, I think it’s a good thing, especially because we continue to build a winning mentality.”
Chelsea have lit up the tournament, scoring 38 goals and winning 11 of their 12 matches. Their final test comes against Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis, who are making their first-ever appearance in a European final after finishing sixth in La Liga.
Maresca holds a deep respect for the 71-year-old Betis coach, whom he regards as a football “father figure,” having played under him at Malaga and worked as his assistant at West Ham.
The Italian tactician also took a moment to address critics of his youthful squad—whose starting XI has been the youngest average age ever recorded in a single Premier League season.
Chelsea stumbled mid-season but rallied to finish fourth, and Maresca did not shy away from defending his side’s credentials.
“They were not talking in the right way,” he said. “Yes, we are young. But at the same time, they are men… Sunday was a chance to show that we are mature enough, we can compete, and we can do the right things.”
Kickoff in Wroclaw is set for 8 PM local time, with both sides chasing their piece of history—Chelsea aiming for European completion, and Betis hoping to mark their continental arrival in style.
