Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca voiced his concerns today about his squad having two days less preparation time for the Conference League final compared to their opponents, Betis.

While Betis are set to play their final La Liga match on Friday against Valencia, Chelsea will conclude their Premier League season on Sunday with a fixture against Nottingham Forest—just three days before the final scheduled for Wednesday in Wroclaw, Poland.

This match holds significant importance for Chelsea as both teams vie for a spot in the Champions League.

“I’m not fully satisfied,” Mareska remarked during a press conference.

“You cannot permit one team to have an additional 48 hours to prepare when a European final is at stake,” he continued.

The European Football Association (Uefa), which oversees the Conference League, does not have a say in the scheduling of domestic league matches.

Due to Premier League regulations that require all final round fixtures to occur simultaneously, Chelsea cannot shift their game against Forest to Friday, unlike Betis.

Mareska proposed a solution: “Or let Betis play on Sunday, just like us,” he said with a grin.

As a side note, Tottenham and Manchester United, who are set to play in the Europa League final on Wednesday, completed their last league matches on Friday night.

News