The Manager Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.
The Italian offered a rather mysterious message in his after-game media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to four matches.
However, when asked about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period within the club.
"The way the lads want to improve has been excellent and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with so many issues, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he said.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people withheld support from us."
Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss elaborated: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."
Injury & Suspension Crisis
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.
"I truly commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 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 doing exceptionally. 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 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 acknowledge because the effort from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.
Speculation Over Maresca's Remark
It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea manager.
In that period, the coach had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton side.
It was unclear whether any particular press stories had irked him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.
