- 3 months ago
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca previews Ajax and discusses Chelsea's 'discipline' issue
21/10/2025
Stamford Bridge, London, UK
21/10/2025
Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00We will take questions from the floor.
00:02Please raise your hands and wait for a microphone to come to you.
00:06Who would like to get us underway?
00:11Yes, third row, please.
00:16Good afternoon. My name is Christian Belaing from ESPN Netherlands.
00:20We, of course, are extra interested in how Carl Harto is doing at Chelsea.
00:26How has he found his spot in the squad?
00:30Yes, we are very happy with Jarrell since he arrived.
00:36He is trying to adapt a little bit to a different competition, English football.
00:42But we are very happy with him.
00:47The first two, three weeks, he struggled a little bit in terms of physicality, in terms of intensity.
00:53But he is getting better and better.
00:55In the Netherlands, people are always trying to figure out whether he is a left central back or a left full back.
01:01Have you figured it out already?
01:04I think he can play both.
01:06He can play both.
01:07He is a very good player.
01:09He can be central defender or full back, but also he can join midfielder, attacking face.
01:18So, I think he can play in different positions.
01:20Final question.
01:21What are the most remarkable characteristics of this eye of the opponent?
01:27Obviously, study the opponent.
01:29What has stood out most?
01:31It's a team that they try to play always, like in DNA from the club.
01:36So, for sure, it will be a tough game.
01:41Gary, second row, please.
01:45All right, sir.
01:46With the Owen, obviously, suspended and Liam injured, Mark Gee, obviously, he's done well the last couple of games.
01:53When he's come on, will he start tomorrow night?
01:56Yeah, we have him.
01:56We have also Tyreek.
01:58He played games as a nine in the past.
02:01He did well.
02:02He played, I think, against Benfica as a nine.
02:04So, we have different options.
02:07We see we have one more session this afternoon, and then we decide.
02:10Mark was called back late on deadline day.
02:14There was some outside noise, some criticism.
02:16Maybe his progress was being affected by that, but you've been proved right.
02:23Yeah, we trust Mark.
02:27We trust already last year.
02:29He was always playing in the conference.
02:31We also gave him some Premier League games, so we show in the past that we trust Mark.
02:37Now he's again with us, and he's going to play games for sure.
02:42Simon, in the front here, please.
02:44Hi, Enzo.
02:45Can you give an update on whether Fernandes is fit enough to play and any other team news if there is any?
02:52Yeah, Enzo took part of the session yesterday.
02:55We have one more session this afternoon.
02:58We'll see what we decide with him tomorrow.
03:03But as I said before the Forest game, it was not something that we have to be worried about.
03:10It's just to try to protect Enzo and protect more players that they need to be protected.
03:16Quickly, is there any update on Liam DeLapp's return, whether there's a date in mind at the moment?
03:22Yeah, Liam is very close.
03:25He's not working with us yet.
03:27He's still out.
03:29But hopefully he can start in the next days, take part of the session with us.
03:35David, I.
03:37John, sorry for the voice, first of all.
03:41You've been dealing with injuries basically since the season started.
03:45How is it difficult to find the right balance with the team when you don't know which player is available or not, both from your side and from the player's side?
03:56Yeah, it's very difficult, especially because many of the injury we had has been the day before the game or two days before the game when we had already an idea about the game.
04:06But it's something that we are trying to, you know, to, to, to, to, to, to adapt and try to, to, to learn for the players.
04:13Also, it's complicated because sometimes you plan for some players.
04:16OK, you want to play in one week and then suddenly you need that players because the one that you were thinking to start get injured.
04:25So it's, it's something that we are trying to do our best since we start.
04:30Matt, second row, over here, please.
04:32Hi, Ante. You've got Chao Pedro suspended tomorrow night and then at the weekend you've got Malo Gusto suspended.
04:41Have you got a discipline problem in the team at the moment because every game there's somebody suspended?
04:48For sure it's something that we can do better.
04:52I think some of the red card, we could avoid that.
04:57For instance, the last one, I think the Malo one is completely avoidable because it's 0-3, the game is finished.
05:04But as I said after Nottingham game, also the other part, the other side that they don't want to concede,
05:11they want to continue to be aggressive.
05:14For sure when you concede 5-6, red card, I don't know exactly how many,
05:18for sure there is something that you have to improve.
05:20And it's something that for sure we are going to improve.
05:24Do you think it's a consequence of having a young squad with some naivety?
05:29And do you have to make the punishments harder to try and stop it?
05:37Personally, I'm not that kind of manager to punish players.
05:43I don't think, in my view, I don't think it's the right way to do things.
05:47I prefer to help them to understand and then from there to do the right things.
05:53I think Joao Pedro's red card against Benfica was last minutes of the game.
05:58Malo Gusto was last minutes of the game.
06:01So it depends.
06:05They are all different kind of red cards.
06:07But again, it's something that if you concede 4-5,
06:12there is something that you have to do better.
06:14Jacob, second right.
06:20Hi, Enzo.
06:21Why do you not like, as a manager, to punish your players?
06:24Were you, during your career,
06:26were you punished as a player at any point by your managers?
06:29Did it leave you sort of feeling that this isn't the way that I wanted it
06:32when I became a coach?
06:33No, because I have four kids
06:38and when they do something wrong, I don't punish them.
06:41I try to teach them to do the right things.
06:43And I try to treat the players in the same way.
06:46Try to help them to understand
06:48and not to punish them.
06:50So this is the way I see the things.
06:52That can be right, wrong, I don't know.
06:54But it's the way I see things
06:56and I like to do things.
06:59Jack, second right here, please.
07:03Enzo, you talk about needing to do better and improve.
07:06What are you as a coaching staff doing
07:08to try and find that improvement
07:10in terms of the red cards?
07:14Again,
07:18Malo red card, we can avoid that.
07:21Joao red card, probably we can avoid that.
07:23You can all avoid, but at the same time, you know,
07:31if you see Trevor red card against Brighton,
07:35you can say, okay, allow him to shoot
07:36and then we see.
07:38Man United is exactly the same.
07:40It's a decision that you have to take in one second,
07:42in two seconds,
07:43so it's not easy for the players.
07:45Then there are things like the last one.
07:48I think that was a huge mistake
07:51because the game is finished, it's 0-3.
07:53But again,
07:55they were, you know, shouting between them,
07:57don't concede, cliche, this kind of thing.
07:59So also show the desire
08:00that they don't want to concede,
08:03they want to continue to be intense, aggressive.
08:06So, yeah,
08:07it depends a little bit.
08:09It's around about a year since you spoke in Athens
08:11about wanting to see more in terms of
08:13leadership and captaincy from Rhys James.
08:15I just wondered a year on how you think
08:18he's developed as a leader,
08:19if he has developed as a leader
08:20and if he can still do more.
08:22Yeah, absolutely, yes.
08:23Yeah, it's much better compared to one year ago.
08:26But I hope that also me,
08:30I'm better than one year ago.
08:31I think, you know,
08:33after one month, two months,
08:34we try all to be better.
08:38I think Rhys improve a lot.
08:39We have more players
08:40that they are doing well in that sense.
08:43So we are very happy with Rhys.
08:45Start right here, please.
08:49What do you expect to be the team element
08:51in this situation?
08:53I expect to be the team element?
08:56As I said before,
08:57it's a club that in the past,
08:59in the present,
09:00they always try to play their kind of football,
09:03their football.
09:04So for sure,
09:05it will be a difficult game.
09:07They are also a team
09:09and a club
09:10that they won this competition in the past.
09:14So they want to prove everyone,
09:16the players,
09:16the manager,
09:17the club,
09:17that they're going to come here
09:19and try to do their best to beat us.
09:22And we're going to try to do exactly the same.
09:24Peter,
09:25third road points.
09:27Hi, Enzo.
09:28Just going back to not punishing players
09:30or preferring to sort of help them,
09:32do you have like,
09:33is there a fine system
09:34or do you not believe in fining players
09:36with these kind of instances?
09:37I think the players,
09:38they have a system
09:39between the changing room,
09:41inside the changing room,
09:42in terms of fine,
09:44and it's something that they manage.
09:46Did you get a fine
09:47for your sending off
09:48against Liverpool here?
09:538,000.
09:54It was public, no?
09:55Yeah, I just wondered
09:55if there was an internal one as well,
09:57obviously.
09:58Internal one?
09:58Yeah, like a final plan.
10:01Nizar, in the front, please.
10:03Hi, Enzo.
10:03Just wait for the microphone.
10:05Nizar, please.
10:08Hi, Enzo.
10:09I wanted to ask you about
10:10Josh Achenbong.
10:11He's playing more now.
10:12Do you think that
10:13he still needs to develop
10:14a bit more his game
10:15to become a starting regular
10:17all the time with you?
10:18Is there elements of his game
10:20that you're working on
10:21and how do you see his development?
10:23We are very happy with Josh,
10:25but not now.
10:26We are very happy with Josh
10:27since last season.
10:29But like every player,
10:31there is room to improve.
10:33And especially when you are 18, 19,
10:35there are many things
10:36that you can do better.
10:37But Josh is, you know,
10:40he's a hard worker,
10:41he's humble,
10:41he wants to learn.
10:42And for sure,
10:43he's going to be a better player
10:44in the future.
10:45Does it make you feel
10:46more confident about
10:47not signing a centre-back
10:48in the summer
10:48to play in that sort of
10:49central centre-back role
10:51that you have Josh there
10:52as an extra one
10:53with all the other ones you have?
10:55But Josh has been always there.
10:57So it's not that
10:57now we feel better
10:59because Josh is there
11:00and three months ago
11:01Josh was not there.
11:02Josh was there also
11:03three months ago.
11:04And we were very happy
11:05with Josh.
11:07Time for two more.
11:08Kieran in the second row, please.
11:09And then we'll finish
11:10with Rob in the third row.
11:11We're actually about
11:13to speak to Tosin.
11:15He's probably one of your leaders.
11:16He's actually the first
11:17player at age 28 or older
11:20that you've played
11:21this season
11:22or since you came in, actually.
11:24Do you need guys like him
11:26in the changing room
11:28so that he can get on
11:29at the players
11:30so that you're not
11:31constantly badgering him
11:32about discipline issues?
11:33Even if Tosin is still
11:36very young,
11:37probably compared
11:38to his teammates,
11:40no.
11:40But, you know,
11:42in general,
11:43he's still 28,
11:44he's still young.
11:45He behaved like a leader
11:47since he arrived here.
11:49The good thing is that
11:50now we have
11:51more players like him
11:54in terms of leadership.
11:55and there are things,
11:59as we said before,
12:01in terms of fine
12:02that the players,
12:03they control inside
12:04the changing room
12:04and we are happy with that.
12:07And we'll finish
12:08with Rob.
12:08Third row, please.
12:10Hi, Enzo.
12:11What have you made
12:12of Chelsea
12:12in the Champions League
12:14this season?
12:15How do you think
12:15the players have handled
12:17the step up
12:17from the Conference League
12:19and how have you found
12:20it as a manager?
12:23Yeah, it's nice competition
12:24because you play
12:25against, you know,
12:26a fantastic club.
12:27I think the first game
12:28Bayern Munich away,
12:30we lost,
12:31we were not happy
12:31with the result,
12:32but I think the performance
12:33we play for,
12:34we try to play for 95 minutes
12:36face-to-face
12:37against a club
12:38that in the last
12:39six, seven years
12:40they always reach,
12:41you know,
12:41same final, final,
12:42quarter or final.
12:43We knew that
12:44was a difficult game.
12:46Benfica, again,
12:47we try to prepare
12:49the game
12:49in our,
12:51you know,
12:51to try to win the game
12:52in the best way,
12:53but when you face
12:55this kind of club
12:56like Bayern Munich,
12:57Bayern Munich,
12:58Benfica,
12:59Ajax tomorrow,
13:01there are always things
13:02that you can learn
13:03after the game
13:04and it's going to be
13:05exactly the same
13:06tomorrow after the final.
13:08Okay, thanks guys.
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