The Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' with the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's victory against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

The Italian made a rather mysterious message in his post-match press conference even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to four matches.

Yet, when questioned about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his frustration over the previous 48-hour period within the club.

"How the lads are eager to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of challenges, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he said.

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

Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss elaborated: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Fitness & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really commend 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 said.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.

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

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

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that period, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed relaxed, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.