Conference League final and the confrontation between 'father and son'

TPO - Both Chelsea and Real Betis are hungry for the 2024/25 Conference League trophy to solve their problems. But on the coaching bench, there is no hostility between Enzo Maresca and Manuel Pellegrini, who have built a father-son relationship over many years.

About 13 years ago, Enzo Maresca was still a diligent midfielder at Malaga under the direction of coach Manuel Pellegrini. One day, the Chilean strategist advised him to try to pursue a coaching career. "I believe you will become a good coach," Pellegrini said.

His coach's advice motivated and gave Maresca the confidence to think that he really had a future if he moved into coaching. "That's how I started coaching," Maresca said in 2020.

After retiring in early 2017, on his 37th birthday, Maresca joined Pellegrini's coaching staff at West Ham in 2018. Pellegrini said he was impressed by Maresca's meticulousness and attention to detail at the time, and said his junior would have a "long football career".

In his subsequent journeys, from coaching the Man City youth team to leading Parma, then returning to Man City as Pep Guardiola's assistant, finally moving to Leicester and becoming Chelsea's head coach, Maresca always sought Pellegrini's advice. Over a long period of time, the two built a close relationship, even buying houses close to each other in Spain, allowing them to enjoy summer days together.

Enzo Maresca and Manuel Pellegrini when they worked together at West Ham.

“He’s like my godfather,” the Chelsea manager said of Pellegrini, his opponent in the Conference League final. “We have a very close relationship. More than a colleague, he’s a great teacher and mentor. I’m where I am today thanks to Manuel. I’ve learned so much from him, from how to manage players, how to manage the dressing room, how to deal with difficult situations and criticism.”

So both Maresca and Pellegrini were looking forward to the Conference League final. The Chilean coach revealed that he had texted Maresca since the group stage to make an appointment for the final match. "I will see you in Poland," Pellegrini wrote in the message. The efforts of Real Betis and Chelsea made the appointment come true. "When both teams reached Wroclaw, I called Maresca to say how happy I was," Pellegrini shared.

Surely the two will give each other warm hugs before entering the final of the third-tier European tournament. But after that, there will be a ruthless competition, because Maresca and Pellegrini both know that fighting with all their might is the greatest respect for each other.

Thanh Hai

Source: https://tienphong.vn/chung-ket-conference-league-va-cuoc-doi-dau-giua-cha-va-con-post1746328.tpo