Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca attended the pre-match press conference ahead of the Champions League fixture against Benfica.
Reporter: Good morning. I’d like to ask, how do you feel about facing Mourinho tomorrow?
Maresca: It will definitely be an honor to face Mourinho tomorrow. Mourinho is a legend at this club, but also at the other clubs he has managed, so it will be an honor for me.
Reporter: Given what happened last week, do you feel pressure to win?
Maresca: We will prepare to the best of our ability and strive to win every game. Hopefully, we can do that tomorrow.
Reporter: When you see the photos of managers who have won the Champions League and Premier League on the walls at Cobham, have you ever thought about what it would feel like if you were there alongside those who have won the Premier League or Champions League?
Maresca: To be honest, I already feel very lucky to be in the photos at the training ground alongside the Club World Cup trophy. But of course, my goal is to one day share moments like that with everyone not just with the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup, but with other major trophies too.
Reporter: Do you think this is a kind of romance of football? Just a few weeks ago, Benfica’s manager wasn’t Mourinho, but now everyone is looking forward to this match.
Maresca: I think I already answered this in the first question. For me, it’s an honor to manage this club in the Champions League, and it’s also an honor to face such an outstanding manager like Mourinho tomorrow.
Reporter: What differences do you think there will be between this Benfica side and the one you faced in the Club World Cup? Is it harder to prepare for them now?
Maresca: It might be a bit difficult because all the Benfica games I’ve watched were under their previous manager. Mourinho has only been in charge for three or four games so far, so that’s all I’ve had to analyze – but this Benfica side will definitely be completely different from the one we faced in the Club World Cup.
Reporter: You’ve mentioned that you’ve won trophies at Chelsea, while Chelsea fans still often sing Mourinho’s name. What do you think you need to do to keep fans supporting you consistently?
Maresca: Maybe keep winning trophies. I remember in the away game against Southampton, the fans started singing “Chelsea are back”.
It would be nice if one day they sing my name, but that’s not my main goal. Of course, hearing his name sung is special, but if they’re singing “Chelsea are back”, I’m already very happy.
Reporter: Do you have expectations of that (fans singing your name)?
Maresca: That’s not my goal, as I said. What I’m more focused on – our goal – is to keep winning games and keep the fans happy.
Reporter: Given the long injury list, will you consider rotating the squad for the upcoming game against Liverpool?
Maresca: We certainly need to maintain the squad’s ability to compete at a high level, because the Champions League requires top performances.
Unfortunately, as you mentioned, we currently have many players sidelined by injuries. This afternoon, we will assess André Santos, Moises Caicedo and João Pedro. They have some minor issues, so we’ll see if they can play tomorrow.
