Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca has expressed his displeasure at Real Betis fixtures change in their last league game of the season ahead of the Europa Conference League final.
The Italian manager is frustrated that Real Betis last game of the season was brought forward from Sunday to Friday which gives them an extra extra 48 hours to prepare for the UEFA Conference League final.
La Liga accepted a request from Betis to bring their final league match against Valencia – originally scheduled for Sunday – forward to Friday evening.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have to wait until Sunday for their last game of the season against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in a Champions League decider clash.
The Premier League has a long-standing policy that all 10 final-day games kick off simultaneously on a Sunday afternoon.
Maresca said: “I’m not happy, one hundred per cent. You cannot allow a team 48 hours more than the other team when you play a European final.
“I don’t know if it’s from La Liga, from the Premier League or from UEFA.
“If I ask you is it normal to play a final where a team has 48 hours more than the other team? It’s not normal. It’s not something correct.
Asked whether UEFA needed to apply clearer rules, he replied: “Absolutely yes.”
Maresca is looking forward to facing his ‘professional dad’ Manuel Pellegrini, managed Maresca during his time as a player at Malaga before employing him as an assistant when he was in charge at West Ham between 2018 and 2019.
He said: “I spent four years with Manuel,” said Maresca. “He’s a reference for me because of his career and especially because in terms a human being, he is a top person.
“I define him as a professional dad because many times when I’ve needed to take a big decision, we are in contact. I spoke with Manuel yesterday. We are so close.”
Maresca also confirmed that Philip Jorgensen will start the Europa Conference League final clash against Real Betis ahead of Robert Sanchez.
He concluded: “Filip is going to play the final because he played all the competition so it would be unfair not to play in the final.”
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 will qualify for the league phase of the Europa League.
