Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca attended the post-match press conference following the team’s 1-3 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.
How do you feel about the game?
I thought we started really, really well in the first 20 minutes. We created two key chances and didn’t concede a goal. Then we gave away a goal, and that kind of concession is obviously unacceptable.
The game situation changed a bit, but even so, we picked ourselves up, kept up the tempo, and scored a goal. The moment we scored (in relation to Ta’s foul) was probably a tough call for the referee too, because you can judge it in different ways – but that’s okay.
Don’t you think the second half was better?
I disagree with that, because you’re telling me the second half was better than our performance after conceding the goal in the first half, and even before that.
I think, in this kind of competitive environment, this team needs to stay fully focused and give their all for 95 minutes. I thought we played well, but not for the entire game.
Do you think Tah should have been sent off?
For me, that should have been a red card, because… I’ve always said that if an opponent has no intention of challenging for the ball and only wants to kick the opposing player, then it deserves a red card.
Why wasn’t it a red card? The referee said Ta’s action didn’t have enough force and wasn’t violent conduct. What can I do if he insists on saying that?
So, to give a red card (for this kind of action), they need to see blood on you, or need to see something specific. If the opponent has that kind of intent, it’s a red card. So for me, there’s no doubt about it.
Do you think the result would have been different if Ta had been sent off then?
Personally, I’m satisfied with the team’s performance, because we know how difficult it is to play against Bayern at the Allianz Arena. We knew this was a very tough game, but overall, I thought we played well.
In the first 20 minutes, we again didn’t concede, we created two chances, and then that goal we conceded changed the course of the game. But even if we hadn’t conceded that goal and dragged the game to the end, it would definitely be very difficult to come here and control the game for 95 or 100 minutes. That’s just not realistic.
Is this a good reminder to the players that the Champions League is the highest level of competition? Because Chelsea actually only made three mistakes, and all of them led to goals being conceded?
To be honest, I think the players already realize how difficult this competition is. You can’t make mistakes like the ones we made, but just like I told the players just now, this is a game from which we can learn a lot and build something special.
Next up is Benfica. It looks like it will be Mourinho’s Benfica, the return of a Chelsea legend. Are you looking forward to this game?
Of course. Definitely, yes. He’s a club legend, and generally speaking, he’s a legend because of his trophies and achievements.
Is Cole Palmer okay? He was holding his groin earlier. Will this be a learning process for your less experienced players?
Cole, I think he’s fine. I asked him after the game, and he said he’s okay.
As for experience, I think there’s a big difference between them and us. But it doesn’t matter whether that’s because of the number of games they’ve played or their age.
But even without that experience, we’re sure that we competed in the right way. To reach this stage, I’ve been involved in the Champions League before as an assistant coach – at Sevilla and Manchester City – so I know very well how difficult it is to play away against Bayern.
Trying to control the game against this team for 95 or even 100 minutes? That’s unrealistic. It’s hard to adapt. So, in some parts of the game, the way we competed was excellent. Maybe these were mistakes we made, and we can learn from them. As I said, I think we can build something special from this defeat.
Do you think that was a penalty for Bayern?
To be honest, I haven’t seen the replay. So, I don’t know. If you watched it on TV, you can tell me what you think – whether it was a penalty or not.
Has the new format put pressure on Chelsea?
I don’t know. We still have seven games left. I don’t know how many we need to win. I don’t know how many defeats we can afford. I have no idea. We still have seven games, so there are a lot of points left to fight for.
