The Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as His 'Worst Two Days' with the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to the weekend's win against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old offered a puzzling comment in his post-match media briefing despite securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those crucial points lifted Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive matches.
But, when asked about Gusto's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the previous two days within the club.
"The way the lads are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of problems, they are excelling after a tricky week," he stated.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people failed to back us."
When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "Worst 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: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."
Injury & Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension issues, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I truly commend 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 explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season minus our top player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's success over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark
It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.
In that window, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton team.
It was not obvious whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if online discourse 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, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.