Chelsea's Enzo Maresca: "Money doesn't win titles"

Enzo Maresca has played down the impact of Chelsea's spending ahead of their UEFA Conference League semi-final first-leg against Djurgarden.

You are not going to win games or titles just because you spend big.

That was the answer provided by Maresca after a Swedish journalist informed the Italian that his Chelsea squad is worth 44x that of Djurgarden's.

"You don't win games and titles with money. We know that very well. It's not about how much you spend," the Italian added.

"You have to spend money, but in the right way."

The Blues make the trip to Stockholm on Thursday where they are heavy 1/4 favourites to come away with a win over Sweden's 11th placed side.

Should the away side lose, it wouldn't be the first time they have suffered defeat at the hands of underdogs in Europe this season.

Legia Warsaw, albeit eliminated from the Conference League on aggregate, returned home with a win at Stamford Bridge.

Upon travelling to Sweden, Maresca has admitted that he has found it difficult to assess Thursday's opponents.

"Personally, I've watched six games," Maresca said. "The only thing is that in the league they use players they don't use in Conference. And in the Conference, there are players they don't use in the league.

"It’s not easy to analyse. We want to try to prepare the game in the best way."

Another potential unknown for the west London outfit is the surface at Djurgarden's home ground.

The pitch at the 3Arena has even come under fire from some of the club's own players.

It is not uncommon for Nordic clubs to play on plastic pitches but Maresca has expressed worries over the impact it could have on his players going forward.

Saying: "I know that in the last weeks even some of their players were complaining about the pitch. They play every week, so for us, it’s a different one.

"For sure, it can be a concern. I'm a little bit worried about that. But we are not in a moment where we can say we decide to save players for Sunday.

"This is a semi-final. It’s a European competition and we want to be in the final."

Should Chelsea prevail over the two-legged tie, either Real Betis or Fiorentina will await them in a Conference League Final set to be played on 28th May.

However, immediate attention after Thursday's fixture will turn back to the Premier League.

Currently holding on to an all-important UEFA Champions League spot on goal difference, the Blues host newly-crowned champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

William Dobbie

• Chelsea F.C.
• Conference League
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