Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as The 'Worst Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old delivered a puzzling statement in his after-game media briefing despite notching a 2-0 win at home courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to consecutive outings.
However, when questioned about Gusto's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period within the organization.
"How the lads are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with a host of problems, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he said.
"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people didn't support us."
When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."
Fitness and Suspension Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I truly praise 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 minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing brilliantly. Today was five 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 without our top player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to appreciate because the effort from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's win over Everton strengthened their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.
In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton team.
It was unclear whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.
