The Manager Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as His 'Toughest 48 Hours' with the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to the weekend's win against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.
The 44-year-old delivered a somewhat cryptic message in his post-match interview despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those crucial points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive outings.
Yet, when asked about Gusto's assist and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding two days at the club.
"The way the players are eager to improve has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise them - because with numerous issues, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he stated.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because many people didn't support us."
Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss 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: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Injury & Suspension Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match 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 minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.
"We play five 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 externally to appreciate because the commitment from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was unclear what exactly caused 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, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed at ease, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton team.
It was unclear whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.
