Chelsea's Boss Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as His 'Worst Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to Saturday's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old made a somewhat cryptic statement in his post-match press conference even after notching a 2-0 win at home through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive fixtures.
Yet, when questioned about Gusto's assist and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the previous 48-hour period at the club.
"The way the squad want to improve has been superb and this is the reason why I commend them - because with numerous challenges, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because many people didn't support us."
Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 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 clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."
Injury & Suspension Woes
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I truly commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top 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 want people externally to recognize because the work from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.
Speculation Over Maresca's Comments
It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had irked him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.
