Maresca not happy with Real Betis fixture change

By Daily Sports Nigeria on May 20, 2025

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says he is "not happy" that opponents Real Betis have been given two days of extra preparation for next week's Conference League final.

La Liga has accepted a request from Betis to bring their final league match against Valencia - originally scheduled for Sunday - forward to Friday evening (20:00 BST).

Chelsea, by contrast, travel to Nottingham Forest - who, like the Blues, are chasing Champions League football - on Sunday, three days before the final in Wroclaw, Poland on Wednesday, 28 May.

Sunday's final round of Premier League games must all kick off at the same time (16:00 BST) to prevent any side gaining an unfair advantage over their rivals.

But Maresca said: "I'm not happy, 100%, you cannot allow another team 48 hours more when you play a European final.

"[Either we play Friday] or they play Sunday like us. I don't know if it is from La Liga, the Premier League or Uefa, but if you ask people in this room if it is normal to play a final where another team has 48 hours more to prepare, it is not normal."

The Italian has confirmed that back-up goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen will start in the final, while Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu remain injury doubts.

"Filip [Jorgensen] is going to play the final because he played all the competition. It is unfair if you arrive at the final and he is not playing the final," said Maresca.

"This game will be Filip plus 10 players, I do not know which the other 10 will be, but Filip is going to play because he deserves to play.

"At the moment, Guiu and Nkunku start to take part in our sessions, but are still not 100%."

Chelsea must finish in the top five of the Premier League to qualify for next season's Champions League. If they finish sixth or win the Conference League, they qualify for the league phase of the Europa League.

Source BBC Sports

Posted May 20, 2025


 

You may also like...
Francisca Ordega signs for Sydney FC

Chelsea Set to Complete £40m Kovacic Deal Despite...

Premier League Clubs Vote Against Retaining Five Subs...

Klopp Bats Away Questions Over Salah Future

Enyimba turn back Djoliba in CAF Confederation Cup...

Brighton Sack Manager Chris Hughton

 

Latest News Musa dents Rivers title hopes as Rangers go top Nwabali linked with Kaizer Chiefs, Simba SC New winners emerge at Osun national table tennis tourney Ex-int’l Disu optimistic ahead SAMDA U-13 tourney Edun convenes emergency meeting over NBF, NBBofC crisis Usyk backs Joshua to defeat Fury FIBA seeds D’Tigress in pot 2 for World Cup draw Global interest peaks ahead of Okpekpe 10km race AFN open to Ofili’s return after failed Turkey switch Junior Aruna wins WTT Youth Contender France silver Sporting Lagos secure NPFL return Lookman powers Atletico into UCL semi-final

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (63,715 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,042 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (52,962 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,560 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,489 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,391 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,243 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,787 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (50,978 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,485 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (47,898 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,362 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media