00:00Okay, good evening and thank you for joining us.
00:28Welcome to our Matchday Minus 1 press conference ahead of tomorrow's Champions League group stage opener against Bayern Munich.
00:37Who would like to get us underway?
00:42Anybody? In the front, please.
00:48Enzo, good evening.
00:51In terms of your actual squad with the Champions League, you're relatively inexperienced with the Champions League.
00:58However, obviously with your European success last year and the Club World Cup as well,
01:05how do you marry up your expectations for this Champions League season?
01:10First of all, we are very happy to be in this competition.
01:14One year ago, we were playing the Conference League play-off, so we are happy to be here.
01:23For sure, winning the Conference League and the Club World Cup help in different aspects.
01:33And then in terms of experience, I think all of us, when we start something, we are lack of experience.
01:40We have to start and we're going to start tomorrow.
01:42Is there a belief from your side and within the squad that you can really challenge and go on and win this competition this season?
01:59Well, first of all, you know already since last season that I always like to go game by game.
02:08You cannot think about the final or semi-final if you are not able to win games in the group stage.
02:15And it's the first thing tomorrow.
02:17We have the first one against a fantastic team that probably is one of the three, four favourites in this competition.
02:25But we're going to try to do our job in the best way.
02:30What did winning the Conference League and the Club World Cup, have you noticed a difference in the squad since you came back?
02:36Absolutely, yes.
02:38When you win the game, for sure, it helps to improve confidence, to improve different things, different aspects.
02:46Knowing that every game is different, every competition is different.
02:50And as I said, Bayern in this moment probably is one of the favourite ones.
02:57But we're going to try to do our best.
03:01Gary, just behind please.
03:03Gary Cottrell.
03:04Obviously, last season in the Conference League you were able a little bit to have almost two teams, a Premier League team and a Europe team.
03:17You won't be able to do that this time.
03:19So is it important you field your best possible XI and will Cole Palmer start?
03:27We try every game, even against Brentford, we try with our best XI.
03:34Game by game, you have to manage different problems.
03:37As I said in the last game, Cole was not fit 100% to play 90 minutes.
03:43Different players, they were out, EstevĂ£o for instance.
03:46And tomorrow we're going to try to put our best XI for tomorrow game.
03:53Cole, three days ago, didn't play from the start because he was not able to do that.
03:59But we'll see it tomorrow.
04:01Jacob, just down here, please.
04:07Hi, Enzo.
04:08Without asking you to name your team tomorrow, does the formula, the formation and system that you used in the final against PSG give you a kind of template to use in these big games in the Champions League this season?
04:21I said before, for me, every game is different for that game against PSG.
04:29I think the first XI, the ones that they were inside the second half, the plan, everything will work well.
04:37But tomorrow is a completely different game.
04:40So I don't see any comparison between the two games, the two teams.
04:47Matt, just down here, please.
04:52Hi, Enzo.
04:53Can I just ask you how you feel about potentially going up against Nicholas Jackson tomorrow night?
04:59He's obviously on loan at Bayern, but he is still sort of a Chelsea player.
05:03And what do you think of that rule that the on loan players in Europe can play against their parent clubs?
05:08I said the other day, I am grateful, thankful to Nico, because if we achieve what we achieved last year is because all the players, including Nicholas, that was with us.
05:30I texted him after he left the club, telling him, thanks for last season, wish him all the best.
05:40And Nico is a good guy with us, he was good, he was working well.
05:44And then in terms of rule, for me, it's normal.
05:50I'm from Italy, I played many years in Spain.
05:53And this rule, when you are alone, you can play, so for me, it's okay.
06:00Did Nico text you back?
06:02Yes.
06:03Yeah, yeah.
06:04Yeah.
06:05Just in the middle here, please.
06:07Hi, Mr. Mareska.
06:18Another question regarding Nico Jackson.
06:20You said that you are thankful.
06:24Could you explain why you didn't count on him for this new season and why you decided to let him join Bayern?
06:33Because we bought two strikers, Lian Delap and Joao Pedro.
06:42And I think with two strikers, it's a good number, it's enough.
06:48And this is the reason why.
06:51Kieran, just down here, please.
06:53The white T-shirt.
06:56Hi, Enzo, how are you?
06:57You used Philipp Jorgensen in Europe last season.
07:00Are you willing to tell us which goal are you going to go with in the Champions League this season and explain the reason and why?
07:08Tomorrow, Robbie will start.
07:11But for sure, with the amount of games that we have, Philipp is going to play games in the Premier League, in the Champions League, in the FA Cup, in the Carabao.
07:22So, we have so many games that for sure, Robert cannot play all of them.
07:30Nizar, just down the bottom here, please.
07:32Enzo, you did a great job rotating your squad last season, but is it a bit different when you're rotating your squad now?
07:43It's the Champions League because the level is so much higher.
07:45And is that a personal challenge for you this season?
07:48You know, is success and failure going to be dependent on how well you do that in all the competitions?
07:53It helps a lot if you are able to rotate players, especially probably at the beginning of the season.
08:03Okay, you can probably go with the same and then it's a long season, many games.
08:08So, I think you have to do that because you have also saved players, avoid injury.
08:15But it's something that is dictated game by game.
08:20It's not something that you can plan because probably you plan something and then any problem or any injury is not possible.
08:28So, we're going to try to rotate players knowing that, as you said, the Champions League is a bit different from last season competition.
08:42One in the middle here, please.
08:45Hello, Mr. Mareska.
08:52Uli HoeneĂŸ, ex-boss of Bayern Munich, said that Bayern Munich is an underdog in this season in the Champions League.
08:58Would you agree or what is your opinion about Bayern Munich this year?
09:03I think Bayern Munich is a team that already showed last year that they are very close and they can compete in this competition, try to win this competition.
09:22This is my personal view.
09:25I see them together with three, four more clubs like the favourite one for this competition, but it's my personal view.
09:35Simon, just in the front here, please.
09:38Hi, Enzo.
09:46Another one on Nicholas Jackson.
09:48Vincent Company earlier said that he has had a conversation with Nicholas about the way Chelsea play.
09:55Obviously, he knows the way you like to set things up and tactics and so on.
09:59Is there any concern that Nicholas can obviously give Bayern the lowdown?
10:04And secondly, just to confirm that your relationship with Jackson is good because there's been some quotes out there today that perhaps is not the best relationship.
10:13Me with Nico?
10:14Me with Nico?
10:15Yeah.
10:16Anyway, me personally, again, I didn't have any kind of problem with Nico and I don't have any problem with Nico.
10:28Again, he's a good guy, good professional, worked well with us and that's it.
10:36And then the other question, yeah, probably can be a small advantage because, you know, he can ask Nico the way we work, the way we try to prepare a game.
10:51At the end, Nico was with us for one entire season, so he knows exactly the way we approach games, but at the end, we'll see anyway.
11:02Okay, if there's no more questions, we'll end it there. Thank you.
11:07See you later.
16:27Thanks for joining us guys here with Rhys James.
16:29Preview tomorrow night's UEFA Champions League fixture with Bayern Munich.
16:31We'll follow the same format as we did with the manager.
16:34So if you'd like to raise your hand if you'd like to raise your hand if you've got a question and we'll get the mic passed to you who would like to kick us off.
16:39Yeah, yeah.
17:09I think it's a little boy.
17:39They're all gone now.
18:09You know, we qualified for this competition
18:11and we, you know, went on to achieve two trophies.
18:15So I'll definitely say, you know, with all the change,
18:18you know, we started probably slow.
18:20But last season, you know, I think we come on leaps and bounds.
18:25Do you all, do you have like a WhatsApp group
18:28of the Champions League winning team?
18:30Do you all have something special that ties you together
18:33to keep in touch or anything?
18:35No, there's no WhatsApp group, but, you know,
18:38it's always special when, you know, we cross paths
18:40and see each other.
18:42Simon.
18:44Back on the front, sorry.
18:51Hey, Lees.
18:52I don't know whether you remember pre-season last year.
18:56You were asked a question right near the end
18:58of a press conference out in America
18:59what your goal for the season was
19:02and you replied to stay on the pitch.
19:04I think it was in reference to your injury issues, possibly.
19:09I'm just wondering what your goal for the season is this year.
19:12Is it the same or is it something different?
19:16No, I wouldn't say my goal is the same.
19:20I've been on the pitch a while now.
19:23You know, I'm feeling good.
19:24I'm feeling strong.
19:25No, we want to compete at the highest level, you know,
19:31and compete in the Premier League
19:33for all the, you know, domestic trophies
19:35and, you know, the Champions League as well.
19:38And I believe we have a super strong team
19:40and, you know, that will be our targets this season.
19:44There's a...
19:46Hi, Lees.
19:50I wanted to ask you how strange or interesting
19:54is it going to be facing Nicholas Jackson again?
19:56You know, he might be kind of directly up against you
19:58at times as well.
19:59So, how will that feel?
20:01And what kind of, you know, player was he for Chelsea
20:04and what kind of player will he be for Bayern?
20:06Oh, I know Nicholas, you know, really well.
20:09He's, you know, an amazing, amazing player.
20:12You know, playing against him will be tough,
20:15but on the other hand, it will, you know, also,
20:17you know, help me out.
20:18I kind of know, you know, how he plays.
20:23Jacob.
20:27Hi, Rhys.
20:27Given what you did in the final against PSG,
20:31do you think that this team is capable of doing
20:33what you did back in 2021
20:35and win this competition?
20:38No, I think it's the start of a new season.
20:41You know, it's still early.
20:44But no, I have no doubts in the club
20:46and, you know, the team's ability to go on
20:50to, you know, compete against the best teams
20:52in Europe and in the world.
20:55And we will take that, you know,
20:57week by week, game by game.
20:59And, you know, see where we come, you know,
21:01at the end of the season.
21:03Jack.
21:05Just going back to Matt's point about 2021
21:11and you being the last remaining player from that squad,
21:14what can you pass on to this group
21:17and what experiences or moments from that campaign
21:20can you take to help in this one?
21:22No, I think there was probably more to take in the campaigns
21:26which we got knocked out in, you know, last 16, last eight.
21:31You know, it's...
21:33I find you learn more when you don't come out on top.
21:37You know, I played against these in 2019, I think, or 2020.
21:41And, you know, they destroyed us, in other words.
21:46And, you know, days like that, we learn a lot.
21:49And, you know, nights like that will help me, you know,
21:52going into tomorrow's game.
21:53And finally, I'm on the top of the front.
21:57Just following up on Nicholas,
21:58were you surprised to see him leave this summer?
22:00And do you think he's been missed or will be missed?
22:03Yeah, I was surprised.
22:05I didn't expect it to go.
22:08But, yeah, I think, you know, the player, you know,
22:13wanted a solution.
22:15The club maybe wanted a solution as well.
22:17I'm not really sure how the whole situation came about.
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