Chelsea's Manager Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to Saturday's win against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old made a puzzling message in his after-game press conference despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those crucial points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to four matches.
However, when asked about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his frustration over the previous 48-hour period at the club.
"How the lads are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise them - because with numerous issues, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he commented.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people failed to back us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the former 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 within at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."
Injury and Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.
"I really applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season without our top player.
"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to recognize because the effort from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's win over Everton strengthened their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.
In that window, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had irked him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.