Chelsea's Boss Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.
The Italian delivered a puzzling message in his after-game media briefing even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive outings.
But, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his annoyance over the previous two days at the club.
"How the lads want to develop has been excellent and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with a host of problems, they are excelling after a tricky week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people didn't support us."
Pressed on what he meant, the ex- 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 replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Injury and Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension problems, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.
"I really commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without 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 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season minus our best player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased 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 last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton team.
It was unclear whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter related to the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.