The Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Pre-Match Time as His 'Worst Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to the weekend's victory against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian made a somewhat cryptic message in his after-game interview despite earning a 2-0 win at home courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's winless run to four outings.
But, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the preceding two days within the club.
"How the squad want to improve has been excellent and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with numerous challenges, they are excelling after a tricky week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because many people withheld support from us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. In general," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans."
Fitness and Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I really commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to appreciate because the work from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's win over Everton strengthened their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.
In that window, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any particular media reports had irked him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.
