Chelsea's Manager Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as The 'Worst Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to the weekend's victory against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old made a somewhat cryptic message in his post-match interview even after securing a 2-0 win at home through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points sent Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive fixtures.
Yet, when asked about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his displeasure over the previous 48-hour period at the organization.
"How the squad are eager to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with numerous issues, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he stated.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people withheld support from us."
When pushed further on his meaning, the former Leicester City boss elaborated: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Fitness & Suspension Woes
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I truly commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.
"We play five 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 want people externally to recognize because the commitment from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's success over Everton consolidated their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments
It was not immediately clear what exactly caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.
In that window, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-game news conference where he seemed at ease, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton side.
It was hard to discern whether any specific media reports had irked him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.