One on One Emergency Pod! Pedro Neto on saying goodbye to Maresca and his message to Chelsea fans. 

0:01How did Vienna really want to power it domest? promise that the team and myself will give everything for them. Hello and happy new year and welcome back to the first one-on-one of 2026 and I'll be honest I was not expecting to be talking to you so soon in January but we're racing out this emergency pod because as I talked to you this Friday afternoon I've just got back from Chelsea's training ground where I've had the pleasure of chatting to Pedro Neto and to say it's been a pretty turbulent 48 hours for the Blues would be an understatement because it was just after midday on Thursday when we had confirmation that head coach Enzo Maresca has left the club after 18 months in charge.

1:04Chelsea have confirmed they've parted company with their head coach Enzo Maresca. We can bring in our chief correspondent, Carve Solicle, who you were the one who broke this story. The whole way through it, you've been on top of this. What do you understand has happened? Well, look, Enzo Maresca has, as expected, left Chelsea and I'm led to believe that both Enzo Moresca and Chelsea agree that now is the best time for him to go. Despite the highs of winning the Conference League and the Club World Cup, we've seen a breakdown in relations between the Italian and the club as well as recent results not going their way with Chelsea securing just one Premier League win in their last seven games.

1:45Kriber lurking at the far post to level Bournemouth. the long throw causing problems for Enzo Maresca's side again Chelsea 2 Bournemouth 2 now loads of names have already been linked with the job at their time of recording by the time you're listening things might well have changed somebody might well have been appointed so keep across Sky Sports News and the website for the very latest so anyway back to the training ground because we were supposed to talk to Pedro about 2025 what a year it was for the Portuguese winger but I had to get a couple of questions in early about the Enzo Maresca situation and we had to ask him about the new manager coming in in 2026 so this is my one-on-one with Pedro Neto

2:32Pedro thank you so much for joining me today it's obviously been a huge 48 hours or so for the club give me your reaction to the news this week after the game of course we wanted to win I think we had a little bit the idea of course we didn't have the idea but it was like we were all upset and when I heard the news to be honest in the beginning I was a little bit surprised because the manager did very good for us he did an unbelievable season last year he was doing a good season this year of course we wanted to do better and we always want to do better but this is football you know of course for me I would be a little bit sad because it was the manager that helped me a lot in these years he managed myself they helped me a lot I learned a lot with him as a personal terms he was unbelievable as well so the only thing I can say thank you but it's football and we have to go through it and go to the next game already thinking about us as a team and try to win it and we've obviously seen loads of players putting out messages and stuff you had a really good relationship with Enzo yourself yeah I think so of course we had a relationship manager player but like I said I said to you in personal terms, he helped me a lot as a professional one.

3:44I learned a lot with him, what he had to my game as well. And I had to thank him a lot, like I said to you. In some moments, he helped me a lot as well in personal terms, and I have to be thankful. But it's like I said to you, it's football, and the only thing I can say to him is thank you. Let's reflect a little bit on your 2025 then as a player, because you've had some huge highs as well, haven't you? Winning massive trophies. How have you found it? To be honest, I found it really pleasant. It was a very good feeling. Some of the people don't have the idea, but I think it was my first complete season since I have a career here in the Premier League, my short career here.

4:26And I was really pleasant with that. I finished with 60-something games, playing a lot of minutes, playing with Portugal. So it was really, really, really good for me. And I started here well, and I hope to do better than last year. What was your personal high? The personal high, like what do you mean with personal high? Like was there one moment that stands out to you that you think that was... I will be honest, it's a difficult question because people ask me this about, for example, the World Cup and the Nations League. I always say winning with the country is a different feeling because you have the family there, like you have the Portuguese people there.

4:58And I think the feeling was a little bit different. So I would choose maybe the Nations League because of the feeling of the country. But of course the World Cup is up there as well and the Conference League, of course. but I would choose like maybe not like, like I said to you, it's difficult, but in terms of nations, I think it's always big to represent your country because you're representing your family, you know what I'm saying? And we also have to touch on Diego Jota, his sad passing in 2025. I know you two were so close. Yeah, it was a good year, but I don't know how you say this. It's like a different taste that we had.

5:33But to be honest, I think sometimes I even don't believe it. You know what I'm saying? I try not to believe it. But I think he gave a lot of power to a lot of people and you can see his importance all over the guys that everyone loved him because he was not a guy, a media guy, you know what I'm saying? He was not a guy that appeared a lot on media and he didn't care about that. But I think he gave a strength to a lot of people and I hope he continues to. And I think me and a lot of the Portuguese players, they continue to play and to leave his legacy on the pitch. Yeah, absolutely. And like you said, you played so well in 2025.

6:06You played so many games as well. Do you feel like that's a real change? Because prior to that, you had injury issues, but it's been very consistent in 2025. No, it's what I was going to say to you. It was times I was dead, but it was challenging here because I changed a lot. I was not used to arrive at the end of the season and being there to chase a goal that was going to the Champions League and have done like 50 games. So it was all different for me, you know what I'm saying? Like in terms of recovery, in terms of being prepared, in terms of playing for three games. And like I said to you, for example, 2025 was difficult because in terms of the conference league, maybe the manager had the option to rotate more the team.

6:49And for example, this year we had weeks that we played one game, we played another one, we played another one. And it's like the first time I'm feeling this. So it's like kind of challenging, but it's an unbelievable feeling as well to be out there. Do you think it actually helps you playing so regularly, so consistently? I think, like I say, I prefer to play all the games and not rest anyone because like this we don't need training. We have to now. Yeah, but in the games we improve a lot. I think the most things that we have, we cannot train almost, to be honest. And the things that we improve, you have to improve a lot in the games.

7:22And I like this. I like the challenge of the games and learn new things, all the games. And I think it's like this year is bringing me this even more. for like for example in the other week I remember we played Newcastle and then we played the Aston Villa straight away you know what I'm saying it's difficult and then in the middle of week maybe you had to play Barcelona and Arsenal you know what I'm saying it's all this challenge that that you have to work on your consistency to be always on a high level you know what I'm saying. Take me inside the dressing room a little bit at Chelsea at the moment what is the vibe like there because it's very young but it must be a lot of fun because you are playing amongst players the same age as No, of course, it's always fun.

7:55It's always fun because, like I say, I have 25, and most of them, they are younger than me. You're a senior in here, man. I was at Wolves, and I was f***ing around with everyone. And here, maybe Stavo arrives here, and he's thinking with me, you know what I'm saying? Like, it's funny, and the environment is unbelievable because it's a young group with a young mentality as well. But, like, mentality of winning, and this is what makes the difference last year, and I hope that makes a difference this year as well because we always want to win, we always want more. I think in football there is no wage.

8:31As you can see, we have a lot of players with young quality that can prove that they can play at the highest level. I think we are missing a little bit maybe of consistency because like I said, as a young group, some guys never had the experience of playing Champions League and Premier League at the same time. So it's been challenging to be honest, but a good challenge. How do you think you get that little bit of consistency? work and in terms of concentration most of the times it's concentrations in the games that we were like winning we came from a lot of positions like winning 1-0 and lost the game because this time the other teams they can fight we watched I remember with the boss with Maresco we watched that most of the games we had the momentum of the game all the time and we dropped a little bit the momentum and we conceded a goal, you know what I'm saying?

9:16like it's these small things that you learn to deal with it with the game time and everything, you know what I'm saying? And it's difficult because there are some guys that come here now to the Premier League and they're still adapting to that, you know? Yeah, I mean, you mentioned it there. You are 25, but everybody else is even younger than you. When you were playing at Wolves, you know, you had 35-year-olds. Do you feel yourself like a senior member of the group here? Of course, I feel like a senior, but with 25 years, I realize that I have a lot to learn. Yeah. If I had guys like João Moutinho in Wolves that he was 33, 34, and he understand a lot of the game, and he was still improving.

9:53Imagine me with 25. I cannot teach what he was teaching me when I was at Wolves, you know what I'm saying? So, together, we are trying to understand that and to take to the next level what the team can do, you know what I'm saying? So, who are in that dressing room group? Who are the sort of leaders? Who are the guys that are João Moutinho-style players for you? No, I would say, I would say in terms of, there is no, I think with the words, there is not a lot of guys that can put it towards what, like, for example, João did, because João was to organize a lot of the pitch and this kind of stuff.

10:24But, for example, I take Riz as a leader, the way he plays and the way he competes, because he doesn't need a lot of words. I take Ansu, maybe a guy that had more communication, but in terms of his attitude, and I take Cucurelli, of course, because the way that he plays all the game, and he trains like examples of the team. And some of these young players we're talking about, I mean, incredible talents. Let's touch quickly upon Estaval, for instance, plays a similar role to you. Is he coming to you for advice and you're sitting on the training ground and going, wow, this is a special talent? Oh, of course.

10:56Of course. When he came, we saw he was special. But the thing about him that I used to say, maybe the youngsters, and I was a little bit on that generation. Sometimes the youngsters, they don't like maybe at times to hear some stuff. but what I like about him is that every time he's open to hear stuff, to learn, and he's always happy. And this is the thing that I like a lot, is that you can see that he's an easy kid that just wants to play football. You know what I'm saying? And this is the part of what I'm saying about this group that makes it special because we are on the pitch to play and we are not about to take some stuff that we shouldn't, you know?

11:34So it's real special. Let's look ahead then to 2026. Obviously, new managers are going to be coming in. What are your aims under the new manager? The new aims are always the same, to improve game by game. I think the mentality should be in general, like of course the club has a goal. But I think in the situation that we are, we just have to think game by game and in the end we see where we are and we fight for what we have to fight. Do you have personal goals? You set yourself at the beginning of the season, you look at it and you go, I want to get 15 goals, 20 goals. No, normally what I just do is to do better than the next game.

12:04So if the last game I score one goal, I will try to do better in the next one or keep the consistency. And this is what I'm trying to work as well, to help more the team, to be there every day. Of course, sometimes it's difficult because it's a schedule, like I said, tight. But it's what I'm saying to you. I like that because when you have a game, for example, we had a bad game the other day and we can straight away make it better. You know what I'm saying? And this is what we have to do. We have to improve day by day, game by game. And then we will see, like I said to you, where we are. and in personal stuff, it will be always the same.

12:39Like I say, I always work to be the best and to be at my best. So it's what I'll continue to do. And obviously trophies are going to be paying a big part. You're doing really well in the Champions League, obviously beating teams like Barcelona, but you're also in the FA Cup in the semifinals, the Carabao Cup as well. Do you put a lot of emphasis on trophies in 2026 because you won so many in 2025? I think when you are in a club like this and after you have this feeling of winning, you don't want to lose it you know what I'm saying it's the best feeling that is in football is to win collective trophies so I think we should aim for that we should aim for that not like I said you're not thinking about that because first we have to think about the games that we have and then when we are on the situation that we know we go for it you know what I'm saying yeah I think it's even when you are in the semifinals first you have to think about the semifinals to think winning the final you know what I'm saying because if you are thinking too far ahead you are not taking advantage on the games that you have and I think the most thing is to live the present and I think is what we have to do.

13:40We have a big game coming up this weekend, Manchester City. How do you expect that one to go? How are you feeling ahead of it? I'm feeling pretty comfortable. I think the group had a new clue of players that were already used to play for a long time, since last year. So we are confident. We know the quality that we have. We know what we can do. So we go there with the mentality to win the game. And what are you expecting from them? Because they are flying at the moment. they are involved in a title race, you would think, with Arsenal. I expect a tough game. It's always difficult to go away to Atiyah and play there.

14:11But like I said to you, they are a team with intensity. They like to have a lot of the ball. And maybe we have to try to take the ball a little bit out of them. We know we have quality to have the ball as well. So it's what we are going to try to do to win the game and bring the three points. Final question then, I suppose. Let's give a little message out to the Chelsea fans watching ahead of 2026. There's going to be a new manager coming through the door. They're expecting big things. What's your message to the Chelsea fans? The message to the Chelsea fans is to stay positive because we have a lot to go.

14:38We have a lot to fight still. So we have a long road to go and we need their help. And I promise the team and myself will give everything for them. So there we have it. I think Pedro was pretty much as honest as he could be. And it was some interesting insight into what it's like navigating a managerial change for the players. This post-Moresca period begins for Chelsea this weekend with the monumental task of travelling to Manchester City. Watch this space as to what comes next for the Blues.

15:07Thanks for listening to One on One. We'll be back with another podcast late in January, unless, of course, we get any more breaking news that we have to cover. As ever, if you want to watch my chat with Pedro, it's on Sky Sports News and across our YouTube channels and socials. And if you don't already, why don't you make it your New Year's resolution to give this show a follow so you never miss an episode? Talk to you pretty soon.

15:35Hello, Andy Scott here, host of the Sky Sports Toe-to-Toe podcast. Alongside a host of top guests, we're here every Tuesday bringing you the very latest boxing news. And we go toe-to-toe with the biggest names in the sport. So, if you love boxing, join me on Toe-to-Toe, wherever you listen to your podcasts. That's Toe-to-Toe, a Sky Sports podcast. We'll be right back.