ENZO Maresca said he will treat Sunday’s FIFA Club World Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain “like a chess match” after claiming his Chelsea side must beat the “best team in the world” when they face the European champions.
PSG, who sealed a domestic league, cup and Champions League treble with a 5-0 Champions League final win against Inter Milan in May, go into the New Jersey clash as strong favourites to triumph and become the first winners of the 32-team tournament.
But with Maresca confirming that midfielder Moisés Caicedo is on course to be fit for the game after returning to training following an ankle injury, the Chelsea head coach says that his team can pull off a shock and beat Luis Enrique’s team — by adopting a chess strategy.
“I love to play chess and watch chess,” Maresca told reporters. “I feel football is like a game of chess and when the rival makes a move, you have to counteract it and I think this will be like a chess game.
“They [PSG] are a top team in Europe and the world, maybe the best in the world, but every game is different and we will try to do a good game.
“For sure it will be difficult, but all games are difficult. Fluminense beat Inter and they reached the Champions League final; Al Hilal beat Manchester City.
“Botafogo beat PSG in this competition and did a very good job, but our style is different to Botafogo.
“PSG is best team in world and they have showed that in this tournament, showed it in France and in the Champions League. Of course it’ll be a difficult game for us, but we are preparing ourselves in best way possible.
“We have maximum respect for them. I said before that I really enjoy watching them, but we are here to do our best and try to win the final.
“All games are difficult, so we have to take them in their own way, but we are not changing anything we have already done. We have our style and we have showed how we want to do things.”
Maresca, meanwhile, said that midfielder Caicedo has a good chance of playing on Sunday after suffering an ankle injury in the semifinal win against Fluminense.
“Caicedo is recovering quite nicely, we saw a little bit this morning and it looks like he is coming along well,” Maresca said. “Moises is a huge part of our team, a very important player and this morning he did take part in training.”
Chelsea will be without winger Noni Madueke after sanctioning a £50 million transfer to Premier League rivals Arsenal.
And Maresca said that Chelsea agreed to the transfer after it become clear that England international Madueke wanted to move to the Emirates.
“I always say that if players want to leave, at the end it is difficult for the club and the manager,” Maresca said. “Noni decided he wants to leave. Nobody said he had to.
“Noni decided to leave, so if he is happy, we are happy.”