LONDON, May 21 — Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has voiced his frustration over what he sees as an unfair scheduling advantage handed to Real Betis ahead of the UEFA Conference League final.
LONDON, May 21 — Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has voiced his frustration over what he sees as an unfair scheduling advantage handed to Real Betis ahead of the UEFA Conference League final.
Maresca expressed discontent after learning that Betis’ final La Liga match had been moved from Sunday to Friday, giving the Spanish side an extra 48 hours of rest before Wednesday’s final in Wroclaw. In contrast, Chelsea must play their final Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
The Italian coach believes the scheduling discrepancy gives Betis an edge in preparation time, especially as Chelsea need a win to secure a top-five finish and qualify for next season’s Champions League. Currently fourth, Chelsea are just one point ahead of seventh-placed Forest and sit level on points with fifth-placed Aston Villa, ahead only on goal difference.
Meanwhile, Betis have no such pressure, with their sixth-place La Liga finish already confirmed ahead of their match against Valencia.
“I’m not happy, one hundred per cent,” Maresca told reporters on Tuesday. “You can’t allow one team 48 hours more than the other when preparing for a European final.”
When asked whether Chelsea’s match should have been moved to Friday, he responded: “Or Betis play Sunday, like us.”
Despite Maresca’s objections, UEFA has limited control over domestic league schedules. The Premier League maintains a policy of all final-day fixtures kicking off simultaneously on Sunday, while La Liga does not. Betis’ fixture is the only final-round game rescheduled to an earlier date.
“I don’t know whether this is on La Liga, the Premier League, or UEFA,” Maresca said. “But if I ask you whether it’s normal to play a final with a 48-hour gap between the teams’ last games — it’s not. It’s not right.”
He added that UEFA should enforce clearer regulations around scheduling fairness: “Absolutely, yes.”
Wednesday’s final will also see Maresca go head-to-head with former mentor Manuel Pellegrini, whom he calls his “professional dad.” Pellegrini previously managed Maresca at Malaga and later brought him on as an assistant during his stint at West Ham from 2018 to 2019.
“I spent four years with Manuel,” Maresca said. “He’s a reference point for me — not just professionally, but also personally. He’s a top person. I’ve often sought his advice before making big decisions, including before taking the Chelsea job.”
He added that he had spoken to Pellegrini just the day before the final, saying, “We’re very close.”
Maresca also confirmed that Filip Jorgensen will start in goal for Chelsea instead of Robert Sanchez, who has been criticized for recent errors. Jorgensen has played throughout Chelsea’s European campaign.
“Filip is going to play the final because he’s been our goalkeeper for the entire competition,” Maresca said. “It would be unfair for him not to play.” — AFP
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