The Blues will seal a place in next season's Champions League if they beat Nottingham Forest on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday (25.05.25) before taking on Real Betis in the Conference League final next week but the manager says that pressure comes with the territory at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca said: "I felt pressure since I joined the club, because this is a club where you need to win games."

The Blues are part of a five-team battle for the final three Champions League spots and the coach says the scenario highlights the intense competition in the Premier League.

Maresca said: "It probably also shows how difficult is the Premier League, so many teams involved. The ones that have been consistent are Liverpool, this is the reason why they won ... the rest had up-and-down moments during the season.

"We're quite lucky in this aspect, because if we win we do our job. We don't need to pay attention to the other results."

The Blues will bid to win the Conference League next Wednesday (28.05.25) against Real Betis and Maresca bemoaned the lack of recovery time his side will have for the showpiece in the Polish city of Wroclaw.

The Italian manager said: "No-one cares about player welfare. If they are tired, they won't play. We will manage that. It's not normal the amount of games they play. It's not normal or correct. [People say] 'They earn lots of money.' It's about health and protecting players."