Chelsea's Manager Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as The 'Toughest Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to the weekend's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian offered a somewhat cryptic statement in his after-game media briefing even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive matches.
But, when questioned about Gusto's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the preceding two days at the organization.
"The way the players want to learn has been superb and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many problems, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people failed to back us."
When pushed further on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."
Injury and Suspension Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension issues, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I really applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to recognize because the effort from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Speculation Over Maresca's Comments
It was not immediately clear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.
In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a session at the training ground, attended a pre-game news conference where he seemed relaxed, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton team.
It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had irked him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.
