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The full transcript from Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca's post-match press conference following the Blues' 3-1 victory over Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup quarter-final
Enzo Maresca has just completed his post-match press conference following Chelsea's 3-1 win against Cardiff City on Tuesday evening.
Alejandro Garnacho scored twice and Pedro Neto also found the back of the net to send the Blues into the semi-finals of this season's Carabao Cup. Maresca has just offered us his thoughts on the game - and here is every word the Chelsea head coach had to say:
Reaching the semi-finals, the fans chanting your name. Are you going to have a much more enjoyable 48 hours?
I'm just happy, as you said, we're going to play another [the third] semi-final in 18 months, and I think it's what the fans deserve.
Was it great to hear them back you like that?
Yeah, absolutely. It was a great moment, I appreciate it, I'm always thankful. I said many times in many press conferences, the support has always been there, knowing that any supporters in the world, when you don't win, they are not happy. So in some moments that we didn't win games, they have been not happy, but it's normal. But overall, the fans have always been there.
How pleased were you with the performances of the substitutes and how they changed the game?
I just said that these are the kind of games that I fall in love even more with the players, because it's very, very easy. You cannot imagine how easy it is to slip, to slide, because they are tricky games. Every season, there are teams that they lost against League Two or League One teams. You need to pay attention, you need to do the right things. Cardiff is very well organised, off the ball they were very intense, and we expect exactly the game that we face, knowing that Ty [George] is not playing a lot, [Marc] Guiu is not playing a lot, Facu [Buonanotte] is not playing a lot. So we expect some difficulty in the first half, and then in the second half, with the change, we were quite better.
After the win against Lincoln, you said some of your 'fringe' players would be better for the experience, but it didn't seem like that at times...
But they are not playing a lot. It's not easy, they need physical condition, they need minutes to be there. And again, I think in the first half, we were very good off the ball, we struggled to create chances, but we expect that, because we had three or four players inside the pitch that didn't play a lot, and in the second half, as I said, we were better.
How come Estevao Willian wasn't in the squad tonight?
He had a small problem, a muscle problem. He won't be available for Newcastle, and we'll see for the next one.
Enzo, when you said you were very happy, you didn't look super happy...
No, no, I'm happy, I'm happy. Now we have three hours to arrive to Cobham, and I will watch two Newcastle games. There is no time. Time is for the players. For us as staff, we're going to be focused on the next one, that is Newcastle, so we're going to prepare. But you cannot imagine how happy I am for the players, because it's another semi-final for them, for the fans, for everyone.
Since the weekend, have you had the chance to speak to your bosses, to the sporting directors, or to see them again after tonight's game, just to talk things through?
No, as I said yesterday, the day after Everton, I started to prepare Cardiff, focus on Cardiff. Now I just said, on the bus I will watch Newcastle, and I didn't speak with one of them.
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