Maresca ‘happy’ at Chelsea but wounds remain open

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is keeping everyone guessing about exactly what he meant when he described the period before the weekend win over Everton as “the worst 48 hours” of his time in charge.

In a news conference on Monday, Maresca was evasive when asked to elaborate on the remarks that followed Saturday’s 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.

It is understood that Maresca’s gripe, which he is unwilling to explain, remains unresolved.

So what is happening behind the scenes that has rankled with the Italian to the point he felt it necessary to go public?

Maresca repeatedly said he had “nothing to add” on Monday when questioned about his weekend claim that “many people didn’t support us”.

That factor was one that Maresca felt contributed to making the build-up to the Everton game so challenging.

Maresca appeared frustrated when pressed on whether he was referring to the club’s hierarchy, replying several times: “It’s Cardiff tomorrow, please.”

Yet the situation overshadows Tuesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final in the Welsh capital, where Chelsea face the League One leaders and are expected to win.

Chelsea sit fourth in the Premier League, but their form has dipped of late. Before beating Everton, they had only taken two points from the previous nine available in the domestic league, while also suffering defeat at Atalanta in the Champions League.

In an extraordinary outburst on Saturday, the 45-year-old Maresca suggested that he and his team had lacked backing. But he refused to clarify who his comments were directed at, and there was no sign of him being willing to expand on the accusation before the Cardiff game.

Maresca eventually said “Yes, absolutely” when asked if he was happy at Chelsea.

He also described the season as “fantastic” when asked about whether he was enjoying his role.

Much, however, seemed to be deliberately left unsaid.

When asked about his relationship with Chelsea‘s owners, he said: “I love the Chelsea supporters. They deserve the best, and again, I don’t have anything to add.”

It is understood the former Leicester City boss is proud of qualifying for the Champions League last season and winning both the Club World Cup and Conference League.

Against that backdrop, Maresca is believed to have wanted more protection from figures within Chelsea against criticism of his team selection and rotation during their recent four-game winless run.

He is encouraged to rotate heavily to develop young players, and for much of the season he has had to cope without star forward Cole Palmer because of injury, while key midfielder Moises Caicedo is serving a three-match suspension and managing an ongoing knee issue.

Defender Levi Colwill, who shone at the Club World Cup, is out for most of the season with an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury, and Maresca’s request for a replacement fell on deaf ears.

Appointed in July 2024, Maresca feels he has outperformed other managers who have faced a rebuilding job when joining a major Premier League force, such as Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, Jurgen Klopp previously at Liverpool, and even Ruben Amorim at Manchester United.

Amorim has had strong public backing despite his struggles.

The initial comments from Maresca came while hands-on owner Behdad Eghbali was overseas, with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart stepping in to lead in his absence alongside other key staff.

Chelsea‘s aim this season is to qualify for the Champions League and challenge in cup competitions, while they are still not entirely out of the Premier League title race.

When Maresca joined Chelsea, he was told he would be assessed at the end of his second year. Predecessor Mauricio Pochettino did not pass such a review following his first, after not agreeing with the future direction at the American-owned club.

In the case of Maresca, Chelsea privately accept emotional outbursts can happen after tense matches.

It has also been explained that he is speaking his third or fourth language, as an Italian who speaks Spanish at home with his family.

All sides accept the current situation is not ideal but expect to work through it. From Chelsea‘s perspective, disagreements are normal in football, but making them public is not.