Chelsea meet Real Betis in the Conference League final on Wednesday, with Enzo Maresca coming up against mentor Manuel Pellegrini; Maresca spent two years playing under Pellegrini at Malaga before becoming his assistant at West Ham; the two coaches have been linked this season…
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca opened up about his relationship with his former manager Manuel Pellegrini before the pair face each other in the Conference League final
When Chelsea take on Manuel Pellegrini and his Real Betis side on Wednesday night, they will be facing a manager with a bigger influence on the Blues than some may think.
Around 15 years ago, Pellegrini was managing in Malaga when he spotted one of his players, in his 30s, with an eye for the game – and told him to pursue a career in coaching.
What now for Enzo Maresca and Chelsea after Champions League qualification?
“You can often tell which players might go on to be good coaches – from the impression they have on others, how they absorb concepts in training,” said Pellegrini recently.
“With both Enzo and Willy [Caballero, Chelsea assistant coach], I was sure they’d go on to become influential coaches on a global level.”
Not only did Maresca become a coach, but Pellegrini took the Italian under his wing as an assistant at West Ham – and still mentors him to this day.
