Chelsea to test winning spirit in Djurgarden, Liverpool games

STOCKHOLM: Chelsea will hope to bring out their winning attitude when they visit Sweden’s Djurgarden in the first leg of their Conference League semi-final on Thursday, coach Enzo Maresca said, before they host Liverpool this weekend with Champions League at stake.

Two-times Champions League and Europa League winners Chelsea can become the first team to win all three European competitions if they add Conference League to their trophy cabinet next month.

“It’s a nice moment, we can reach a final,” Maresca told a press conference on Wednesday.

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“Since we started, we have said (we’d take things) step-by-step. Now the aim is to try and reach the final.”

The Italian coach admitted that failing to do so would be a letdown.

“I don’t know if (it would be) a failure or disappointment,” Maresca said. “Personally for me is a big title.

“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 – so it’s also a responsibility for me and the players to get that.”

Edging closer to that goal through a first-leg advantage could be enough of a task for the week.

However, less than 72 hours after the clash in Stockholm the London club, currently fifth in the Premier League, will face the recently crowned league champions Liverpool, with a spot in the next year’s Champions League in the balance.

“We are trying to build a mentality, a winners’ mentality. You build that by trying to win every game,” Maresca said.

“The players are aware that tomorrow is an important game, but they are also aware that Sunday’s match is important.

“In terms of Premier League, we have four games. All of them, they’re going to be very important. But we need to go game-by-game. So, now it’s tomorrow, and after tomorrow, we’re going to be focused on Liverpool.”

Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and forward Christopher Nkunku have not travelled with the rest of the squad due to minor injury issues.

“It has just happened. We will have more news on Friday when we are back,” Maresca said when asked about the French attacker.