Chelsea's Boss Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as The 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Club
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian made a rather mysterious statement in his after-game press conference even after earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points lifted Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's winless run to consecutive outings.
But, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his frustration over the previous 48-hour period at the club.
"How the lads want to develop has been excellent and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with numerous issues, they are excelling after a complicated week," he said.
"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people didn't support us."
Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Injury & Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top 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 like people outside to recognize because the work from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was not immediately clear who or what caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton side.
It was hard to discern whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter related to the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.
