Enzo Maresca has just wrapped up his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea's Conference League quarter-final second leg clash with Legia Warsaw on Thursday night.
Stamford Bridge plays host as the Blues hold a three-goal advantage against the Polish side following last week's dominant second-half showing in Warsaw. Maresca was asked about the match of course, as well as a variety of other subjects - and you can read every word the Chelsea head coach had to say in the full transcript below...
How do you find the balance between playing in a game that you're 3-0 up in the first leg and you're weighing that up against a really important Fulham game on Sunday?
"No, we try to prioritise always the next match. The next match is tomorrow, you know, tomorrow night that for us is an important game because it can give us the opportunity to reach a semi-final in a European competition. So that is the first one and then hopefully we can reach the semi-final and focus on Sunday game."
Has the Ipswich result made it slightly more difficult to kind of focus more on the next game?
"They are the Premier League games, they are the six games we have, they're going to be all important, all final. But at the same time I think all the clubs, all the teams that we are involved in the Champions League spot, we are all going to win games and draw points until the end.
"I said already many times that when we win a game at this stage, you see yourself there and you are happy. And when you don't win a game, you can be a little bit sad, upset. But it's how you manage in this moment the emotion. We have been there and we would like to be there at the end of the season."
You spoke this week about the environment after the Ipswich game. Ahead of another home game, what's your message to the supporters and what's your message to your own players about the tactic approach?
"The message is always the same. Us, with our support, our fans, we are a better team, we are stronger. Sometimes I completely understand that us as a team, we need to engage the fans, something that probably Sunday we were not able to do it, especially for that 20-25 minutes. So, it's also on us to be good enough and to engage our fans because we knew this season, we saw this season that when we were able to engage them, they support us in every game."
Do you still believe in your approach that it can entertain the fans, that it can be that style of football that they want to see?
"First of all, 100%. And then also because I'm not able to do a different kind of style. So, in case, I'm not the one to do a different kind of style."
We've seen a lot of your teams when they're playing well and when they're struggling, can you remind people of what are the tactics that you'll always keep the same?
"No, the only thing I can say is that I think the last six Premier League games at home, we faced Southampton, Leicester, Wolves, West Ham, Spurs and Ipswich. We won five or six and probably the one that the people more enjoy has been the Spurs one. But Spurs was the only team in the last six games at home that they were trying to press higher.
"So, this is the reason why probably we attack more and we attack more quick. But against the rest, that they just wait inside the box, it's a different game. So, we need to learn how to play different kind of games. And then we change. Tactically, we change. Game by game, we change.
"Even during the game, the last game against Ipswich, we start in one way first half and then half-time we change things. So, we try always to give to the players the opportunity to win the game, create chances and try to do the right things."
Why are the fans so important to you?
"I think football belongs to the fans because they are the main part. And as a team, as a club, when your fans, they support you, I think it's important because first of all, the players, they can receive that feeling and it's important.
"Also, as I said, I think we need to be good enough to engage them. In the last game, unfortunately, for 25 minutes, I think we were not good enough to engage them, but the first 20 minutes and the second half, I think the team did enough to win the game. Also because when you are 0-2 at home, with that moment, with that environment, it's more complicated to come back in the game and we did that quite well.
"And the fans, I think, for me, they are important because they are the main part of any club in the world."
Sometimes you get a bit of an abuse from the stands. Can you hear them and does it put you off at all?
"Me, personally, no, because I was focused on the game, to be honest. I was just focused on the game. I try always to be focused on the game, to see what is going on, to see if we need to change things, if everything is working well. So, I try to be focused on the game."
And on the lighter note, with all this pressure you are under to get Champions League football, how do you relax? Is there some music that you listen to that particularly helps you?
"I try, because sometimes I am away from my country, from Italy, most of the time I try to play Italian music that brings me in a different environment. So, most of the time it is Italian music. One of them is Pino Daniele, that unfortunately passed away a few years ago, but it is my favourite Italian one."
I am going to have to follow up on that now, I am afraid. What kind of music is that?
"It is from very close to where I was born, from my region. It is quite easy music, it is not heavy. It is relaxed music."
Easy listening?
"Yes, exactly."
Do you feel as if this young team is ready to take a step forward next season?
"In my mind, I think the team is ready. And the reason why I say that is because I think we proved this season. I think, even if sometimes from outside it is difficult to see that, but in the last two years, Chelsea has been top four zero times.
"This season we have been top four most of our season. I don't know the reason why I was not here last season, two years ago, I am not judging what happened last year or two years ago. I am just judging this season.
"And this is the reason why I think fans, they have to trust us, they have to trust the team, they have to trust the club, what we are doing now. And the reason why is because, if in the last two seasons, Chelsea was zero times top four, and this season we spent almost our season top four, I think it's a big proof that the team is improving and is doing the right things.
"Now, is it enough? For me, no. Because I would like to fight with this club for titles, for Premier League, for Champions League. But at the same time, I think we have to be realistic and see that this team, this season, is improving. It's there, it's numbers. In the last two years, zero times top four, this season, almost all season. I think it's quite clear that we are in the right direction. Now, again, is it enough? For me, no.
"Because I would like to fight with this club for important things. And we are going to fight for important things. But at the same time, the fans and everyone also in this room, I think it's correct to trust us because we are doing the right things.
"Now we are not in the top four, unfortunately top five, so we are not happy. We are going to try to finish there. But it's a proof that we are doing the right things."
Are you improving fast enough to keep the fans happy?
"So for me, we are going fast. Now, again, what happened last year, two years ago, I was not here, I don't have an idea, I'm not going to judge because it's difficult. But this season, we are going. I think we can reach the European semi-final. Yes, for sure it's not the Champions League, but at the end it's the European competition.
"We have been top four all season, almost all season. Compared to the last two seasons, where the team has been zero times top four. I think it's quite clear that the direction is the right one. The style is the right one. Before the Ipswich game, we were the third best defenders after Arsenal and Liverpool. And the third or fourth best attacking.
"That shows that there are numbers, that shows that the team is doing well. Now, unfortunately, we didn't win against Ipswich. We are all upset and we're going to try to win more games from now on to reach the Champions League spot. Listen, to be honest, if fans complain because after four minutes our keeper gave the ball away. If I am one of the fans, I also complain.
"But sometimes also they complain with something that probably they cannot see, but it's a planned game. So it depends game by game. Again, if they complain because last year or last two years, I don't know.
"The only thing I can say is that the fans with us, they have been always good. Sometimes they are not happy. But when you are 0-2 at home against Ipswich and we are making some mistake, it's normal that they are not happy. That's why I said we have to be good enough to engage the fans. Against Spurs, it was a perfect environment. And I said immediately after the game, because probably we were able to engage the people.
"But the problem is that most of the time the people are engaged when the game is quick. For instance, Spurs. But when they sit back and the game is not quick, they are not engaged. But it's not because of us, it's because of the opposite. No, but when you attack and you create chances, I don't think the first 20 minutes the environment was top. We create chances, we could score three or four goals the first 20 minutes.
"Then we start to make some mistake, especially in the build-up with Robert. And they start to complain. It's normal that they complain. So when I say we need to engage them, it's that we need to play in the right way, create chances, try to score goals. Because at the end, if you score goals also, you know, the mood changes for everyone.
"Since day one. Since day one, and I also said to you that since day one, for me, the fans are very important. Us with the fans, we are even better. Most of the game at home, the fans have been top, fantastic support in the team. In some games, in some moments, like the last one, they were not happy. So we have to be good enough to engage them again."
