LONDON, Dec 13 : Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca said on Saturday he had been through his worst couple of days since he joined the London club in what seemed to be a barbed response by the Italian to criticism of their recent dip in form.
Maresca said he wanted to praise his players after their 2-0 win over Everton in the Premier League which ended a run of four games for the Blues without a win in all competitions.
“They are doing very well after a complicated week,” Maresca told reporters. “The last 48 hours has been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club, because many people didn’t support us.”
Chelsea lost 2-1 to Atalanta in Italy in a Champions League game on Tuesday having drawn with Bournemouth 0-0 last weekend and lost 3-1 to Leeds United a few days before that.
The dip in form followed a couple of strong performances including a 1-1 draw with league leaders Arsenal when Chelsea had 10 men for most of the game, due to a red card for Moises Caicedo, and a 3-0 Champions League drubbing of Barcelona.
Asked by reporters on Saturday to clarify his comments, Maresca said he felt that he and his players had not been supported “in general” but he was very happy with the club’s fans.
The win over Everton lifted Chelsea back into fourth place in the Premier League table, leapfrogging Crystal Palace who play Manchester City on Sunday.
Maresca joined Chelsea in 2024 after taking Leicester City back to the Premier League. He won the Europa Conference League at the end of his first season followed by the Club World Cup in July.
(Writing by William SchombergEditing by Toby Davis)
