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Chelsea's Boss Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as The 'Worst Two Days' at the Club
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's win against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The 44-year-old offered a puzzling statement in his post-match press conference even after notching a 2-0 win at home thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points lifted Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive outings.
But, when asked about Gusto's contribution and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period at the club.
"The way the squad are eager to develop has been excellent and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with a host of problems, they are excelling after a difficult week," he commented.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people withheld support from us."
Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Fitness & Suspension Woes
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I really applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. 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 top player.
"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to appreciate because the commitment from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was unclear who or what prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.
In that window, the coach had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton team.
It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had irked him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue related to the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.
Margaret Crane
A tech enthusiast and writer passionate about exploring the latest innovations and sharing practical lifestyle advice.
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