Having played in Greece during his career, Chelsea’s head coach, Enzo Maresca, is no stranger to the intense atmosphere his team will face tonight against Panathinaikos. Maresca spent the 2009/10 season with Olympiacos, fierce rivals of Panathinaikos, and experienced firsthand the passionate support from Greek fans.
The Olympic Stadium, with a capacity of around 70,000, is expected to be electric. But after Chelsea’s composed performance at Anfield against Liverpool on Sunday, Maresca is confident his young team can handle the pressure. “I’m from Italy, and I know this atmosphere is very similar to what we have in Italy. It’s different but enjoyable,” he said.
“I don’t think tomorrow’s atmosphere will be better or worse than what we saw at Anfield. The players are good at managing these situations,” he added.
Panathinaikos, who started their Conference League campaign with a 1-1 draw against FK Borac and have only lost once in their last five Greek Super League matches, will be a challenging opponent. Maresca expects a tough test, acknowledging their talented squad: “They have some good players, like Tete, who I know from my time at Leicester. Their manager, Diego Alonso, has also been at Sevilla, so we know they’ll have strengths and weaknesses. We’ll do our best to compete.”
Before kick-off, there will be a tribute to George Baldock, a Panathinaikos player who sadly passed away earlier this month. Chelsea supporters can take part by raising green sheets of paper handed out at the stadium in his honor.
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