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

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to Saturday's win against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian made a somewhat cryptic statement in his post-match media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive fixtures.

However, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his frustration over the preceding two days within the club.

"The way the players are eager to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many challenges, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because many people didn't support us."

Pressed on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Fitness & Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

"I really praise the players and the squad because we have 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, no matter who is playing, they are performing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly 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 five games in the Premier League minus 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 effort from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear what exactly caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that period, the coach had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at the training ground, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.