Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca reportedly has an “internal issue” at the club following his comments after their 2-0 victory over Everton on Saturday afternoon.
The Blues ended a four-game winless run thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto, but it was Mareasca who dominated the post-game headlines thanks to an intriguing revelation during his press conference.
“The effort, the open mind, the way they want to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise the players because with so many problems, they are doing very well after a complicated week,” the Chelsea head coach admitted to reporters.
“Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because many people didn’t support us.”
Asked if he was specifically referencing the Chelsea fans, Maresca replied: “Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn’t support me and the team.
“I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans.”
It has now been reported by talkSPORT that Maresca has an “internal issue” at the club that has been bubbling away in the background for several months.
It’s also claimed that he was surprised at the lack of support he received following their disappointing 2-1 loss to Atalanta in the Champions League last week. Furthermore, Maresca has been encouraged to rotate his first-team squad, but he believes he is scapegoated whenever this backfires – such as the defeat to Leeds United in early December.
The Italian has won 54 of his 88 matches since being appointed as Chelsea’s permanent replacement for Mauricio Pochettino last summer and he guided the Blues to Club World Cup and Europa Conference League glory during his debut season at the helm.
However, the club have endured several tough spells throughout his spell in charge, including two draws and two defeats in four games before the aforementioned win against Everton.
Maresca has been linked with being sacked on a number of occasions since his appointment, with reports indicating that both Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner are on Chelsea’s radar.
