Chelsea's Manager Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as His 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's victory against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The 44-year-old made a puzzling statement in his post-match interview despite notching a 2-0 win at home through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to four matches.

However, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his frustration over the previous two days within the organization.

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

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

Pressed on what he meant, 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 internally at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing fantastic. 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 explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to acknowledge 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 quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was unclear who or what caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.