Chelsea's Manager Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as The 'Worst Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's win against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.
The 44-year-old delivered a somewhat cryptic 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 lifted Chelsea back 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 asked about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period at the club.
"How the squad want to improve has been superb and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with so many challenges, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because many 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 didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Injury & Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I truly commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one 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 undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season minus our best 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 outside to recognize because the commitment from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell 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-game news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton team.
It was hard to discern whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter related to the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.
