Enzo Maresca knows Chelsea have the chance to make history by winning the UEFA Conference League. That is one of several reasons our head coach is determined to bring European silverware to Stamford Bridge this season.
If the Blues progress past Djurgarden this evening, we will contest the final of UEFA’s newest competition in Wroclaw at the end of this month. Victory in Poland would break new ground: we would become the first team to win all five UEFA competitions.
‘That would be very good for the club,’ said Maresca.
‘Most importantly, it would be a way to start and build a winning mentality with the squad. We want this club winning trophies, and it’s nice to win a trophy because you learn how to win. Chelsea are a big club with important trophies in the past, but we need to learn how to win with this squad.'
‘I try to convince the players that day by day you have to build the winning mentality, win the small-sided games, because winning shapes you,' added Maresca.
‘The competition we are in is the Conference League, where we started in the play-offs, and we have to win this competition. Winning a trophy this season is a statement that you can say Chelsea is back, because we have won a trophy.’
The Blues have been favourites to win the Conference League since the outset of the tournament. Our progression so far has been relatively smooth, but Maresca knows there is still plenty of work to do, especially if we do reach the final and come up against Real Betis or Fiorentina, both established names in the European game.
‘When you join a competition or play a game when you have the pressure to win, it’s not the same,’ said Maresca.
‘You have to do the job and the most important thing is to convince the players there are no easy games, no easy opposition, because any game can be a tricky game. We won the first game against Warsaw 3-0, but we lost the second leg and could’ve conceded more goals.
‘It’s a competition that we started in the play-off, not even the group stage, but we are going to try to win the competition. We want to reach the final, and then we want to win the final.’
Tickets for tonight's game are still on sale for £60pp, available exclusively to CFC Members. Hospitality packages are available on general sale here, starting from £160pp.