Chelsea's Boss Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Club
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to Saturday's victory against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian made a puzzling comment in his after-game press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at home through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points propelled Chelsea once again 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 side's winless run to consecutive matches.
However, when asked about Gusto's contribution and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the previous two days within the club.
"How the players are eager to develop has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with numerous problems, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he stated.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people didn't support us."
Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss 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 within at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans."
Injury and Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder 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, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season without our best player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to recognize because the work from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.
Speculation Over Maresca's Comments
It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea manager.
In that period, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a session at Cobham, attended a pre-match press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton team.
It was unclear whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.
