Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to the weekend's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.
The Italian made a rather mysterious statement in his post-match press conference despite securing a 2-0 win at home through goals 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 team's winless run to four fixtures.
But, when asked about Gusto's contribution and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the preceding two days at the club.
"How the players want to improve has been superb and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with a host of problems, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people withheld support from us."
Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Injury and Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary issues, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match 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, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus 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 work from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Speculation Over Maresca's Comments
It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst 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 Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.
