Chelsea's Boss Maresca Calls Pre-Match Period as His 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Club
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's win against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The 44-year-old made a rather mysterious statement in his post-match interview even after securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive outings.
But, when asked about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his frustration over the previous 48-hour period at the organization.
"The way the lads want to improve has been superb and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with a host of issues, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he commented.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because many people withheld support from us."
Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When asked if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."
Injury & Suspension Crisis
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I really praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season minus our best player.
"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so delighted 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 triumph over Everton strengthened their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.
In that window, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if social media comments 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 issue related to the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.
