“In terms of quality, we will have to be at our best. Leicester is a strong side that deserves to be in the final and two days later we compete with them for top four. This is the highest level and we need a top performance.”
Mateo Kovacic is back. How important is that?
“It’s huge because Mateo has everything we need in the midfield: experience, power, acceleration, deceleration, can beat players, has the physical ability, and has played big games.
“When we missed N’Golo and Mateo in the same match, we lacked a lot of quality, energy, and experience. Billy [Gilmour] did a huge job in both games but it’s not fair to compare him to these players because they have more experience and they are a step ahead in their development. It’s what we need in the key moments of the season.
“It’s big news for us that Kova is back because he has a big impact on the dressing room around big matches. He’s a very positive guy so it’s good news.”
What is different about a final and the key to being successful in one?
“You’re so close, both teams are so close. The hunger increases and increases, the desire once you arrive in a final builds. The pressure is not from you guys (the media) the pressure is put on by yourself.
“You don’t feel so close when you start a cup competition in the first or second round. You know it’s going to be tough and you know where you want to go but there isn’t the same tension that builds up inside you.
“But [tomorrow] you are so close, the cup will be there and you know this is the last match. You don’t ever know when you may arrive again, it can be a unique opportunity. That builds the circumstances that are unique and you can feel this with the preparation in training today and concentration level.
“It is different to be in a final. It’s the best thing to have in high-level sport, it brings out the best of you and we want to cope with it. It’s a big gift and hopefully, we can show our best performance.”
How excited are you to manage in front of the fans?
“It’s unbelievable and I forgot until you asked that there will be spectators tomorrow. I’ve got so used to their not being spectators; the semi-final for us didn’t have them for us. So it will be a shock tomorrow to go on the pitch and hear some noise. But it will be so, so nice.
“We are looking forward to that. The game isn’t the same without spectators and it will be pure pleasure to arrive tomorrow and see our fans there, some of our families. It will be a huge boost for everybody.”
What’s the importance of winning that first trophy at a club?
“If you ask me this hopefully in four years’ time on the same place I will tell you the same. It has the same importance because once you arrive in a final you arrive with Chelsea, you want to win the final, nothing else.
“I’ve won some finals and the big change to me personally did not arrive. You are super happy, you have the best night after that. You feel relieved, I feel so happy for everybody who was involved. Everybody who suffered, for the families, for friends, for my family. I am so, so happy for two, three days. But after that, it didn’t change anything in me.
“There was the same hunger the next training when the season started again. The same desire, the same anger when you lose games. The same anger when training is not going in your way, the things in the dressing room are not going your way.
“I never stepped in and said ‘yeah but I won a final, now I will not take care of this stuff, it’s not like this. It’s more like you want more and more and more, so how important is this? It’s huge because it’s a final and you are so close to a title. You want to have the title. I am no different to any other player here in this building and any other staff member.
“We are Chelsea and we are about winning and we want to win titles and as many as possible. A win tomorrow is absolutely crucial and will not change anything, hopefully for the next one.”
N’Golo Kante, is he ready to play 90 minutes after missing the Arsenal defeat?
“We took the decision together, me and N’Golo and the medical to leave him out and give him the Arsenal match to rest and have a treatment to the right Achilles. It was pain management, it is not a huge injury. It is nothing you need to be afraid of it getting big. It was just there and a bit annoying.
“There was the same hunger the next training when the season started again. The same desire, the same anger when you lose games. The same anger when training is not going in your way, the things in the dressing room are not going your way.
“I never stepped in and said ‘yeah but I won a final, now I will not take care of this stuff, it’s not like this. It’s more like you want more and more and more, so how important is this? It’s huge because it’s a final and you are so close to a title. You want to have the title. I am no different to any other player here in this building and any other staff member.
“We are Chelsea and we are about winning and we want to win titles and as many as possible. A win tomorrow is absolutely crucial and will not change anything, hopefully for the next one.”
N’Golo Kante, is he ready to play 90 minutes after missing the Arsenal defeat?
“We took the decision together, me and N’Golo and the medical to leave him out and give him the Arsenal match to rest and have a treatment to the right Achilles. It was pain management, it is not a huge injury. It is nothing you need to be afraid of it getting big. It was just there and a bit annoying.
