The Manager Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' with the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton was "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.
The 44-year-old made a puzzling statement in his after-game interview even after notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points propelled Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive matches.
But, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period at the organization.
"How the squad want to develop has been superb and this is the reason why I commend them - because with numerous problems, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because several people didn't support us."
When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."
Fitness & Suspension Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.
"I really commend 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 explained.
"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are doing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season minus our best player.
"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to acknowledge because the work from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.
In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton team.
It was unclear whether any particular media reports had irked him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter related to the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.
