The Manager Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as His 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian delivered a somewhat cryptic statement in his after-game interview despite earning a 2-0 win at home courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points propelled Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.

Yet, when asked about the full-back's contribution and general performance, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his frustration over the preceding 48-hour period at the organization.

"How the players are eager to improve has been superb and this is the reason why I commend them - because with numerous challenges, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because several people withheld support from us."

Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season without our best player.

"We play 5 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 work from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

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

In that window, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.

It was unclear whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.