- The Blues will find out who their opponents are in the Conference League play-offs on Monday
- It will be the first time Chelsea will play in the new third division competition
- Gusto was a rare bright spot in the Blues’ chaotic 2023-24 campaign
Chelsea will find out who they will face in the Conference League play-offs. Malo Gusto has stated that they must embrace Europe in whatever form it takes and win a trophy this season.
The draw for the two-leg play-offs will take place on Monday and Gusto is not laughing about the fact that the club is in UEFA’s third-tier league. He stresses that it is just a disguised opportunity.
“It’s better than nothing, but we have to take it step by step,” he said. “We’re young. The Conference League can be nice for us to know what the European Cup is like. We’ve got a good squad with a lot of players and more games this season. It’ll be nice to build something and put Chelsea where we need to be.
“We have to win something this season, that’s very important. That’s the target. The Conference League, even the Premier League, or the cups. It’s important to win trophies. To get better, that’s important for the group.”
Gusto is also excited that Enzo Maresca’s tactical vision of the defender position takes him back to the position he played in his youth: a midfielder.
Malo Gusto has insisted Chelsea will take the Conference League seriously this season
The defender is impressed with the tactical approach under new manager Enzo Maresca
Gusto has been in the rotation while playing on Chelsea’s pre-season tour, both on the right and the left. Some fans questioned how the 21-year-old and Reece James would both fit into Maresca’s team, but they were used on opposite flanks in the 3-0 friendly win over Club America.
“I started as a midfielder when I started playing football,” Gusto said. “It’s not new to me, but it’s been a long time. I have to keep learning about this position.
‘In modern football you can’t just play in one position. That’s important. I try to do my best as a midfielder, as a full-back. For me it’s the same; I just have to do my best on the pitch and that’s it. Wherever, left-back or right-back, I just try to do my best wherever I can play.’
Gusto is one of the best signings under the new owner and cost Lyon £30.7m.
Soccer in the Streets coordinates sports-based youth development programs in underserved communities in Atlanta, Georgia. They partnered with Chelsea to deliver the programs in the lead-up to their friendly match with Club America.