The Boss Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as The 'Toughest Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to Saturday's victory against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The 44-year-old made a somewhat cryptic statement in his post-match interview despite earning a 2-0 win at home courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive fixtures.
However, when asked about Gusto's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the previous 48-hour period within the club.
"How the squad are eager to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with numerous problems, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he said.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people didn't support us."
Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Injury and Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension issues, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I really 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, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to recognize because the commitment from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's success 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 journey to Newcastle to come next week.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was not immediately clear who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.
In that window, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had irked him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.
