Chelsea's Boss Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as His 'Worst Two Days' at the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian offered a somewhat cryptic statement in his after-game press conference despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive outings.

Yet, when questioned about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his frustration over the preceding two days at the organization.

"How the players want to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with numerous challenges, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult 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 failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Injury and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension issues, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. 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 top player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to recognize because the commitment from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

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

In that window, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

It was unclear whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.