Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Blues
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian offered a rather mysterious message in his after-game interview despite notching a 2-0 win at home through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to four matches.
Yet, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the preceding two days within the club.
"How the lads are eager to develop has been superb and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with numerous issues, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people failed to back us."
Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."
Fitness and Suspension Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I truly commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season without our top player.
"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to recognize because the commitment from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark
It was not immediately clear what exactly caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-game press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton team.
It was unclear whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.
