Rafa Benitez last night warned his Chelsea players they must take the Europa League seriously - and help put the Premier League on the back-burner.
The Blues' humiliating group phase exit from the Champions League means the Blues will play in Europe's secondary tournament for the first time since 2002.
That season, the last before Roman Abramovich's arrival, saw Claudio Ranieri's team eliminated by Norwegian minnows Viking Stavanger in the first round.
And ahead of his side's flight to the Czech Republic to face Sparta Prague, Benitez will demand focus and a professional attitude to ensure the club's fight to salvage some silverware from a season of disappointment goes on.
Benitez, who has doubts over both John Terry and Gary Cahill, with Demba Ba cup-tied, but may have John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses back after their African Nations' Cup triumph with Nigeria, said: "Do you expect them to think it's not important?
"I don't think that. I expect them to be focused and to concentrate, but we will need some time to talk about this.
"On the day before the game, when we fly, they will realise that it's Europe and they must give 100 per cent.
"In terms of flights and games it's like the Champions League. In terms of mentality the first thought is, 'hmm, it's different'.
"But if you look at the teams in the Europa League you will see that it could be quite difficult. We have to start thinking about it as a great competition with good teams and that we want to do our best."
If Chelsea progress in Europe and in the FA Cup it would mean that only two of their next nine fixtures between Thursday and March 14 would be in the Premier League.
But Benitez insisted he would not accept any excuses over tiredness if the shift to a series of Sunday games as a result of the European fixtures started to damage domestic results.
Benitez added: "Playing Thursday-Sunday is fine, because in the Champions League it was sometimes Wednesday-Saturday.
"The most important thing is in the players' heads. In England there is a tradition of playing on Saturday.
"But in Spain I won the UEFA Cup with Valencia playing on Thursday and Sunday, which was just the same. We can manage if we have enough bodies.
"The preparation is not easy but it has been that since I came here, with a game every three days.
"So the day after the game we have a light training session. The second day is the day before the next game so we have another light training session.
"If you want to do major tactical adjustments you cannot do too much. We only have two light training sessions. Normally when you want to improve your team tactically you push them.
"But we cannot push them too much. If we push them too much they will be tired so the balance is quite difficult.
"Normally we give them a little bit of information the day after and a little bit the day before. I would like to spend 20 minutes on each exercise, but have to do 10 minutes one day and 10 minutes the next."
Meanwhile, Chelsea's managerial saga has taken a fresh twist with in-demand Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp ruling out a summer move to Stamford Bridge
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