Chelsea coach Enzo Mariska appeared at a press conference to discuss tomorrow's match against Benfica in the second round of the Champions League group stage at Stamford Bridge.

The coach spoke about dealing with pressure after the loss to Brighton: "We need to stay positive, that's what the players need above all. I also see that there is no reason for pessimism. This morning the club showed me a statistic that we have lost only five matches in the last six months, four of them while playing with ten players. Of course, we want to win matches, but the truth is that the losses happened for various reasons, including injuries or red cards. In the end, the real pressure at Chelsea – whether you are a player or a coach – is that you have to win all the time, and that’s something we know well."

Regarding what he learned from recent defeats and red cards: "After reviewing the recent matches, especially the losses to Manchester United and Brighton, I realized that I could have made better decisions. Playing with ten players is not normal for any coach, and unfortunately, it has happened to us twice recently. In fact, the only match we lost in the last six months without a red card was against Bayern Munich away, so I see no reason to panic. Football is a crazy world, and if you lose five matches in six months and find yourself having to defend yourself, it proves that football is indeed a crazy game."

He added: "I don’t think we need to defend ourselves right now, because I feel very good about the team. Compared to last season, we have all developed. The players have gained more experience through matches, and I personally feel that I have become a better coach, because I am learning. I still have a lot to learn, but that’s part of the process, and I am confident that we will improve more and more in the coming years."

About his relationship with Chelsea fans: "I believe that the fans' reaction is always linked to results. I completely understand that they are unhappy after any loss – and I am too, and the players are unhappy, and the club is not happy. As I said, last season they were singing 'We have the real Chelsea back', then we went through a series of bad results and the mood changed. This is the nature of football; if we are unhappy after five losses in six months, maybe that’s just bad luck… but that’s the nature of this sport that I have lived in for 40 years. What we can do is try to be better, to learn and improve. The most important thing in this field is to win matches."

Regarding facing Mourinho: "It is a great honor for me to face Jose Mourinho tomorrow. He is not just a legend at this club, but a legend at many clubs around the world. It will be a great honor to face him. For me personally, Mourinho is a legend for Chelsea, and in Italy, he is a legend for Inter Milan where he won the Champions League. He is a legend for several clubs around the world, and this shows how good he is as a coach. As for whether he deserves recognition for what he has done, that is not for me to decide. He has indeed proven his great importance as a coach and continues to do so."

On the comparison with Mourinho and his desire for the fans to chant his name: "Maybe I need to keep winning titles for that to happen. I remember moments from last season when fans started singing 'We have the real Chelsea back', of course, I would like that to happen one day, but that’s not my main goal. I would be happy if they sang 'We have the real Chelsea', because that means we as a team and a club are doing something important."

Regarding tomorrow's match: "We try to prepare to win every match, and I hope we can achieve that tomorrow. I think the match will be completely different from the one we played in the Club World Cup. They have played three or four matches with Jose, and everything I saw was with the previous coach. I also watched some of Mourinho's matches with Manchester United and Roma, and it will definitely be a different match from our previous encounter."

On the team's condition: "We need to maintain our level because the Champions League requires high performance. Right now we have several injuries, we will assess the condition of Caicedo, Joao Pedro, and Andre Santos this evening, all of whom are suffering from minor issues. We will see if they will be ready for tomorrow, but we have a sufficient squad to compensate for the absences."

He added: "I feel really lucky to be in pictures at the club’s headquarters after just one season, especially after winning the Club World Cup and the Europa Conference League. Our goal is to enjoy such moments again in the future."

He concluded about the five losses in the last six months: "I repeat this because I see it as important: We have lost only five matches in the last six months, four of them while playing with ten players. This fact puts things in the right context."