Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca expressed concerns over the artificial pitch at Djurgarden as his team prepares for a Conference League semi-final. Despite their previous success in the tournament, with nine straight victories, Maresca acknowledged that the pitch could pose challenges. He emphasized the importance of competing regardless of conditions, stating that there are no excuses. Djurgarden's players have also voiced dissatisfaction about the pitch, with echoes of frustration about its impact on gameplay. Both managers recognize the pitch's difficulties as they prepare for the upcoming match.
"For sure it can be a concern. I'm a little bit worried about that. But we are not in a moment where we can say we decide to save players for Sunday. This is a semi-final, it's a European competition and we want to be in the final."
"It's really tough for both us and our opponents. We get nothing extra from it," said Djurgarden manager Jani Honkavaara about the artificial pitch.
Norwegian winger Tokmac Nguen commented, "The ball just slides away from your foot all the time. In deciding situations when you have decided what to do suddenly the ball has moved for no reason."
Chelsea's Pedro Neto expressed optimism, stating, "To be honest, we are ready for the challenge ahead, even if the conditions are not ideal."
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