Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says he is excited to face his “professional dad” after Manuel Pellegrini-managed Real Betis qualified for the Conference League final.
Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored as Chelsea won 1-0 on the night against Djurgarden and 5-1 on aggregate while Spanish club Betis needed extra time to beat Fiorentina 4-3 on aggregate over both legs.
The results have led to Maresca facing a manager he has both played under and worked alongside having been a member of Pellegrini’s squad at Malaga before later becoming his assistant at West Ham.
Maresca admitted he was late for the press conference because he was watching Betis win in extra time and said of the result: “I’m happy to face Betis, especially because of Manuel Pellegrini. He is like my professional dad. So we’ll be very happy.
“I had him four years, two as a player and two I was his coach, assistant coach. So I know exactly how he thinks about players, but the most important thing is that he’s honest, he’s a good person, he always tries to be honest with the player.
“And I try, personally, I try to learn a lot about his way.”
Maresca also enjoyed the most successful part of his playing career at Betis’s fierce rivals Sevilla, winning two Europa League trophies and a Super Cup, so expects to face crowd taunts.
“I played four years for Sevilla, that is a big derby against Betis,” he said. “We also won the derby 1-0, and I scored a goal. I know that they don’t like me, they don’t love me.
“I met my wife in Seville, she’s from Seville. My first son born in Seville. I played for Seville, but no doubt that I want to win the final.”
Chelsea will want to finish the job in Wroclaw, Poland on 28 May, three days after the Premier League season finishes.
Maresca continued: “For me personally, it’s very important, especially because we can give the chance to this club and these fans to be the first club in Europe to win all the competitions [having previously won the Champions League and Europa League].
“The Conference League is a starting point to build a winner mentality, and then to try to win more things and more titles.”
