Chelsea's Manager Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as His 'Toughest 48 Hours' with the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old offered a rather mysterious statement in his after-game interview even after securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points sent Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to consecutive fixtures.

However, when asked about Gusto's assist and general display, Maresca surprisingly shared his annoyance over the previous two days within the club.

"How the squad want to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with numerous problems, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he stated.

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people withheld support from us."

When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "Most difficult 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 answered: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing fantastic. 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 minus our best player.

"We play five 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 outside to appreciate because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.