Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as His 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Club
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to the weekend's victory against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian made a somewhat cryptic message in his post-match media briefing despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to four fixtures.
Yet, when asked about Gusto's contribution and overall display, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his frustration over the preceding two days at the organization.
"How the lads want to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with so many challenges, they are excelling after a complicated week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because several people failed to back us."
Pressed on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Worst 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: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very content with the fans."
Injury & Suspension Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I really praise 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, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season without our best player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's success over Everton cemented 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 Over Maresca's Remark
It was not immediately clear what exactly caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.
In that period, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed at ease, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.
It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.
