Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as His 'Toughest Two Days' with the Blues
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The Italian offered a rather mysterious message in his post-match media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those crucial points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive fixtures.
However, when asked about the full-back's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his frustration over the preceding 48-hour period within the club.
"How the lads want to develop has been superb and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of issues, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people failed to back us."
When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very content with the fans."
Fitness & Suspension Woes
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season without our top player.
"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to recognize because the work from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's win over Everton strengthened their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Speculation Over Maresca's Comments
It was unclear who or what caused Maresca to describe 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 his native Italy, held a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton side.
It was unclear whether any specific media reports had irked him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to rule out 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.
