Chelsea

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has spoken to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge (kick-off 16:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He said he will wait for the medical team to update him on the availability of Christopher Nkunku and Robert Sanchez, but goalkeeper Sanchez "is in a better situation" as he is already training on the grass.

• He confirmed they will give Liverpool a guard of honour as it is "tradition" and because "they won the Premier League and deserve it".

• In response to whether his players can learn anything from doing this: "I don't think we need that to understand how good it is to win the Premier League. I think we know that it's something very nice. But, for sure, when you are there, our players are probably thinking, 'I would like one day to be there.'"

• He said you can "clearly see" the gap between the two teams in points, but feels they are moving "in the right direction and hopefully this gap can be smaller and smaller and smaller".

• Despite title celebrations taking place over the week, he does not think Liverpool "are going to be different or relaxed" so will still pose a challenge.

• On what has changed since they last played the Reds and dominated the game: "The difference is they have been consistent compared to us. For part of the season we were very good, and then we lost some games. This has probably been the main reason why. And also in terms of experienced players that know how to win games and these kinds of things, I think they have something more compared to us."

• Adding to that, Maresca said Blues will "for sure" have to look at gaining experienced players, "to close the gap with these kind of clubs", but he is hopeful the likes of defender Levi Colwill will step up because "he is growing a lot in terms of leadership" this season already.

Listen to live commentary of Chelsea vs Liverpool on BBC Radio 5 Live from 16:30 on Sunday

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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We asked for your thoughts on Chelsea's Conference League semi-final first leg at Djurgarden in Norway.

Here are some of your comments:

Robert: A difficult challenge on the 4G pitch, but once Chelsea adjusted the weight and precision of their passes, the result was never in question. Pleased to see Jackson bag his two goals.

Steve: It was a solid performance, against a team we should beat everytime. We controlled the game for 70 minutes, but dropped in the last 20. The most important fact for me was Nottingham Forest lost, so a perfect night for my team.

Michael: Great to see the determination of the players to win the match. Also good to see those that played earlier in this competition still being picked. There's no cup or medal for coming fifth in the Premier League.

James: Good performance and Jackson back amongst the goals will do his confidence good. Great to see another academy player (Reggie Walsh) make his debut.

Keith; Very good first half performance. We dropped off in the second and went back to our usual passive, boring football. Poor goal given away, but should be good for the final in Poland.

Guess the current Chelsea player from these three clues:

• I am currently on loan at Chelsea from another Premier League club.

• I enjoyed success early in my career playing in Germany.

• I appeared in the 2023-24 Champions League final.

Come back to this page at 17:00 BST for the answer

Chelsea are not looking to offload their record £107m signing Enzo Fernandez, 24, who is a long-term target for Real Madrid. (Sky Sports, external)

Real Madrid are happy for Ukraine goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, 26, to leave the club this season, with Chelsea's 30-year-old Spaniard Kepa Arrizabalaga, currently on loan at Bournemouth, being considered as a replacement. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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Enzo Maresca spoke to TNT Sports after the 4-1 win against Djurgarden in the Conference League semi-final first leg: "It was the perfect night - an important semi-final and it is a good result. We need to be focused on the second leg.

"The first 70 minutes was good but then in the last 20 minutes we dropped a little bit. But we cannot drop, we cannot relax because otherwise it is complicated. We have done a good job but now we need to finish the job at home."

On how to keep the players' minutes in check: "We try to manage players - we know that we need to protect players. We decided to start in one way and to finish in a different way. I think it worked well.

"But now we have a game in two, three days. We are going to arrive back in London at 5am in the morning and we have a game on Sunday so we need to recover the energy."

On whether everyone is fit and ready to face Liverpool on Sunday: "I think so, from tonight's game, yes."

On giving Reggie Walsh his Chelsea debut: "He is young, he looks very good but he needs to continue to work and learn and grow."

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Chelsea are the Conference League's Death Star, continuing to wreak havoc in Uefa's third-tier galaxy.

They are only getting more dominant as they put one foot, both arms and four of five toes into the final in Poland.

Can anyone, certainly not Djurgarden, stop the squad which is worth as much as the rest combined? (according to player valuations on Transfer Room).

Real Betis and Fiorentina may be the only proper game Chelsea actually play to win this trophy - as they avoided the only two teams with serious resources through the luck of the draw.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson spoke to TNT Sports after the 4-1 victory at Djurgarden: "Very good performance. The most important thing is that we won. It is one step forward and we hope to reach the final.

On his second goal: "I saw the goalkeeper [Jacob Rinne] was always out [of his box] so I just shot and it went in. We won the game, the manager is happy and we are happy."

On Reggie Walsh making his Chelsea debut at the age of 16: "He's a very good player, top quality. For sure he is going to go far. I'm very happy for him to make his debut. I hope there is more to come for him and I am very happy for him."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Chelsea's performance

Come back to this page on Friday to find a selection of your replies

Three English teams feature in Thursday's Europa League and Conference League semi-finals, and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

Europa League

• Athletic Bilbao v Manchester United - BBC Radio 5 Live

• Tottenham Hotspur v Bodo/Glimt - BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Conference League

• Djurgarden v Chelsea

• Real Betis v Fiorentina

All kick-off times 20:00 BST

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Chelsea's latest high-profile academy prospect Tyrique George's breakthrough season has included Carabao Cup games against Barrow and Morecambe, substitute league appearances against Arsenal and Brighton, and almost 600 minutes in 10 Conference League games, including a goal in the quarter-final first leg win at Legia Warsaw.

George was promoted from the academy team to the first team on 19 December, six months after he and defender Josh Acheampong signed new deals in June 2024.

That decision to sign a three-year contract, plus an optional fourth year, raised eyebrows among multiple academy sources at Chelsea.

Internal talk was that he might get lost among £1bn of talent - including another summer influx of talented young forwards - signed since the change of ownership in 2022.

However, head coach Enzo Maresca gave George a chance in pre-season and sources say the Italian's backing helped keep him at Stamford Bridge.

And FootballTransfers.com says George's rapid progress has seen his estimated transfer value increase from £2m in December to more than £10m now - and rising.

He has now scored two goals, got four assists and made a total of 21 appearances across all competitions this season.

Speaking in December, George said: "The trust Enzo has in me gives me a great feeling. He knows me from training with him all season."

Maresca had studied Chelsea, including the academy before joining, impressing in his interviews with the club of his knowledge of players. He will have known George racked up a combined 33 goals and assists last season while being nominated for goal of the season for a strike against Crystal Palace.

Fellow academy graduate Colwill said of George this month: "He's here because he is an amazing player. He is not here to sit on the bench - he is here to play."

Read more about George's Chelsea rise here

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

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Chelsea may be fighting just to secure a top-five spot in the Premier League this season, but there is one table they are topping.

Having previously struggled to bring players through from a silverware-laden academy, the Blues have become almost synonymous with youth and young players over the past few seasons - particularly under the new ownership.

Snapping up the brightest young talents from around the world while also providing opportunities for academy players, Chelsea have the youngest squad in the Premier League by average age, and have fielded nine of the 10 youngest XIs in the division this season.

By bringing through more academy products into the first team while also sending some of those players out on loan, Chelsea have been adept at raising the value of players before selling them on.

Given large outlays in transfer fees following Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's takeover in 2022, being able to sell homegrown players for 'pure profit' has helped keep Chelsea within profit and sustainability rules.

With regards to total profit made from selling academy products and homegrown players over the past four seasons, the Blues have made more than any other team at £315m, according to FootballTransfers.com.

That is £100m more than the next highest Premier League academy of Manchester City, who have made £215m from academy sales.

The player who brought in the most profit for the club in that time was midfielder Mason Mount, who was sold for £52.5m to Manchester United.

There is often a special relationship between players referred to as 'one of our own' and supporters, and the sale of them often causes a disconnect between fans and ownership.

However, with transfer fees continually rising, the need to generate income from the sale of successful academy products seems to be increasingly important.

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Chelsea forward Pedro Neto has played down the significance of facing Djugarden on an artificial pitch in their Conference League semi-final.

Some of the Swedish side's own players have voiced their frustration about the surface, as well as Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, but Neto is prepared for the conditions.

"To be honest, when I was younger in Portugal I used to play on these pitches. I even played on the sand sometimes!" he said.

"Of course I haven't played on one in a long time, but we will train on it tonight and be prepared for tomorrow."

Holly Bacon
BBC Sport journalist

Enzo Maresca has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Conference League game at Djurgarden (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Maresca was asked whether it is a "failure" if Chelsea do not go on to win the Conference League: "For sure. I don't know if it's a failure or disappointed - I don't know the right words in English. For sure, now that we are in the semi-finals and the next target is the final. If we are able to reach the final, we go for the title."

• He sees the chance of adding a Conference League trophy to their Champions League and Europa League successes as a mark of prestige: For me, it's a huge title because it's a European competition and we can give this club the opportunity to be the only club in the world to win all the European competitions."

• He said one of Nicolas Jackson, Tyrique George or Pedro Neto will start up front for Chelsea.

• Maresca said Djurgarden's artificial pitch is "completely different" and that he is aware of some of the home side's players complaining about the pitch in recent weeks.

• However, he insisted Chelsea "don't have an excuse or reasons" why they could not compete, adding: "It can be a concern [injuries because of an artificial pitch]. I am a little bit worried about that but we are not in a moment where we can decide to save players for Sunday. This is a semi-final - a European competition - and we want to be in the final."

• Maresca added: "The most important thing tomorrow is how we adapt immediately to the environment and especially to the pitch."

• He was asked about the difference in cost of the two squads: "You don't win games and titles with money and we know that very well. It's not about how much you spend in the transfer market. You are not going to win games or titles just because you spend big money. You have to spend in the right way."

• On how Thursday's game will affect preparations for Sunday's Premier League match against Liverpool: "I think we are trying to build a winners' mentality. You build that by trying to win every game, no matter who the other team is."

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Christopher Nkunku and Robert Sanchez are both missing from Chelsea's squad for Djurgarden.

France striker Nkunku picked up a small knock in training while goalkeeper Sanchez received a bang on the leg against Everton.

Both have been left at home and are being assessed.

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"Probably the best signing Chelsea ever made."

That was the view as journalist Rory Smith and former Chelsea defender Robert Huth discussed the former Blues boss' time in charge, 20 years on from winning Chelsea's first Premier League title after securing a 2-0 victory at Bolton.

"The moment that [Roman] Abramovich arrived is always presented as this great watershed for English football, which is definitely true, but for Chelsea I don't think it is quite right because it did feel like the decade building up to Abramovich's arrival, Chelsea's transformation had already started," The Athletic's Smith told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"You could say Chelsea made the most of that sudden influx of players from abroad in the mid-90s, selling being in London, being Chelsea, having that slight historic reputation for being the 'Kings of the Kings Road'. You understood when Abramovich was looking for a club, it made sense and fitted that he went for Chelsea.

"You knew he wasn't messing around, you knew he wasn't likely to stick with the manager he inherited when you knew there was someone younger, sexier, and more 'his guy' out there and Mourinho fitted the bill perfectly for that.

"The thing that is most lasting about Mourinho probably isn't tactical, I don't think Mourinho's legacy in England is because of anything tactical – I think it is his character.

"English football thrives on character and personality, it is a character-led soap opera and Mourinho understood that."

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Huth, who was part of Mourinho's 2004-05 title-winning side, agreed and added: "He was a dictator, in the nicest possible way. Win at all costs is the best way to describe it.

"He didn't care how we won. That message of winning at all costs - we felt it every training session. We won 13 of the first 15 games. These messages are easier when you're winning.

"He put himself in front of the team or before the team, but when you see him as a team laughing about someone else's comments [Arsene Wenger's), as a group it just takes the edge off it. He never took time out to talk about any of that, he would just laugh.

"Jose was probably the best signing Chelsea ever made. He changed the attitude of Chelsea to push forward and challenge for Premier League titles."

Find more Mourinho chat in the last hour of the show on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your memories of Chelsea's Premier League title win in 2005.

Here are some of your comments:

Tom: The 2005 league title was won up at Bolton on my 21st birthday. I've been told it was quite the party to celebrate after but for some reason my own memories are a little hazy!

Jeremy: I was travelling on a coach when Chelsea played Bolton. Listened to the whole game on the radio and got some very weird looks when I jumped off my seat celebrating! An unbelievable season that will forever live in my memory. As a 16-year-old at the time, all my memories were of Chelsea being a top-six side, but to see the tears in my dad's eyes when we finally won the league meant so much to me. He's been a fan since the late 1960s and only really knew Chelsea struggling to keep their head above water. The memories of that day will live forever.

Chris: I was there - what an unbelievable day it was. Super Frank won us this game but the whole team were fantastic all season and must rank as one of the best Premier League teams so far.

Paul: I was 16 and working in a video shop at the time. I listened to it on the radio and when Lampard scored the second goal I gave everyone free rentals for the next hour. Lost the job not long after that, but it was worth it.

Gary: I was having lunch in the ESPN Sports bar, Times Square NYC watching the Yankees play the Blue Jays when the messages started coming through the phone that we had won the league. I remember buying every newspaper from WH Smith's at LHR when I landed.

Scott: Memories of that day/season? Great manager, great players, direct attacking football, rock solid defence. Oh how times have changed.

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Chelsea will have a sponsor on their shirts until the end of the season after announcing a deal with Dubai-based property firm Damac.

Damac has become Chelsea's official property development partner.

Its logo will feature for the first time on Chelsea's shirts in their Conference League semi-final fixture at Djurgarden on Thursday.

Image source, Getty Images

Jose Mourinho had an "aura" that you just "had to follow", says former Chelsea defender Robert Huth.

Wednesday, 30 April marks the 20th anniversary of Mourinho's first Premier League title win and the Blues' first league success for 50 years.

Announcing his arrival to English football by calling himself "The Special One" in his first news conference, it made onlookers, including his new players, sit up and take notice.

"I was watching it [the first news conference] and I'd never seen someone with so much confidence, self-belief and it all transferred into the first meeting," Huth told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Everyone just bought into it straight away. You could see the confidence straight away and it just got better and better. The standard got higher and higher.

"Success gives you the power to walk into a room with Roman Abramovich and be so demanding, and only he had the charisma to do it. He wanted 11 players that worked, he didn't want anyone to just drag along in a game. He wanted 11 workhorses and that's exactly what he signed."

While not a regular starter, centre-back Huth was part of the team that won the league in Mourinho's first season in charge having conceded just 15 goals.

Explaining how he convinced players to buy into his style and mentality, the 40-year-old said: "He was a dad kind of figure - he'd treat you harshly if you made a mistake, but if you did well he'd hug you and made sure you do it again. He had that aura about him where you knew you had to follow him.

"We had 25 players competing for a spot. The competition in the whole squad was unbelievable and every training session was like a fight.

"If someone had a bit of an injury and it was two weeks out, he'd go, 'can you make it four weeks?' Just so other players in the squad could play minutes. All these psychology things that he worked on, worked.

"He was hands on with his players and staff, and if they weren't performing to the level he wanted them to be, he'd have a go. He set the standards - first in the training ground, first on the pitch, last to leave.

"When you have a manager like that, you just buy into it and love it."

Listen to more Mourinho chat in the final hour of Monday Night Club on BBC Sounds

Will Faulks
Fan writer

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It was 20 years ago today that Chelsea beat Bolton 2-0 to win their first league title in half a century.

The culmination of years of steady progress in the 1990s, taken to a new level two years before by the arrival of Roman Abramovich, was a season of total domination from the Blues under Jose Mourinho.

While the victory over Bolton will be remembered as the game that sealed it, it was more a day of celebration than anything else. Fans who had been watching Mourinho's winning machine sweep aside all in their path since August were not in any doubt at this point that the title was theirs. It was a question of when, not if.

In a season when the Blues kept an incredible 25 clean sheets and went more than 1,000 minutes without conceding at one point, they only needed a single goal in most games to get the job done. When Frank Lampard battled through the Bolton defence and drove the ball in after an hour, even the most pessimistic supporters were already celebrating.

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Lampard's second goal was the perfect way to seal it. The midfielder carried the ball from the halfway line with a clear run on goal, giving supporters around the world 10 exquisite, unforgettable seconds to watch their dreams coming true, moments that were burned into their memories forever.

There is no player in the club's 120 year history who they would have trusted more in that situation to calmly round the goalkeeper and put the ball into the net.

The contrast between that team and the current squad couldn't be greater. The defence and goalkeeper were rock solid, the midfield and attack full of quality and experience, and there was an iron bond already forged between Mourinho and the fans - one that persists to this day.

Each of those elements feel very distant now, and the combination of all of them almost unreachable.

But if that season taught us anything, it is that a winning team can come together very quickly - if you have the right ingredients.

Find more from Will Faulks at Chelsea News, external