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Enzo Maresca: Chelsea boss refuses to explain public outburst but insists he is committed to the club

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca refused to explain the comments he made after beating Everton on Saturday; Maresca said the days before the 2-0 win were his "worst 48 hours" as Chelsea boss; watch Cardiff vs Chelsea live on Sky Sports on Tuesday, kick-off 8pm

Enzo Maresca
Image: Enzo Maresca shut down multiple questions about who his post-Everton win comments were aimed at

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has refused to clarify comments that he is not getting support at the club.

The Italian was asked to explain his claim made after Saturday's win over Everton that the previous two days leading up to the game had been his "worst 48 hours" at Stamford Bridge, but shut down multiple questions about who the comments were directed at.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final away to Cardiff, live on Sky Sports, he became visibly impatient with requests for him to make sense of remarks that have fuelled intense speculation he was taking aim at the club's owners and sporting directors.

"I already spoke about that and I don't have anything to add," he said.

"It's Cardiff tomorrow, please. I think I was quite clear, no more than that.

"Absolutely, yes."
Enzo Maresca when asked if he was committed to Chelsea

"I respect your (the media's) opinion. I respect people's opinions. But again I don't have anything to add. My focus is on tomorrow's game where we can achieve a third semi-final in 18 months since I joined the club.

"We are in an era where everyone can say what they think. I respect people's opinion. I don't have anything to add. My focus is just on tomorrow."

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He also reiterated he was not talking about the club's fans when he referred to a lack of support, saying: "I said after the game that I love Chelsea supporters. They deserve the best."

Maresca, who is contracted until 2029 with an option to extend for a further year, was then questioned on his commitment to the club given the outburst.

When asked if he was happy and committed to the club, he replied: "Absolutely, yes."

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Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stuns the media in his post match news conference by describing the last 48 hours as his worst ever at the club - that despite a 2-0 win at home to Everton

Is there a problem behind the scenes at Chelsea?

Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol:

"Interesting strategy from Maresca. He is a free man, he can do what he wants, but I would think that the best [strategy] would be to come out and explain his comments.

"He decided to do something different, which was to not answer any questions. The only problem in doing what he did was it creates a vacuum where people can interpret what he said on Saturday.

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Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stuns the media in his post match news conference by describing the last 48 hours as his worst ever at the club - that despite a 2-0 win at home to Everton

"The interpretation most people have come to is that he doesn't have a good relationship with the sporting directors and the owner of the club.

"Maresca had the opportunity to come out and say that is not the case but he chose not to do that. I suppose that means this story is going to run and run, when he could have just said 'I did it in the heat of the moment and let's move on'.

"Everything he does and says is analysed. I would assume, they would have thought that he'd give some kind of explanation. There is always a path for you to take, by doing what he did today, people are going to talk more. He has left it hanging in the air.

"The interpretation is there is an issue behind the scenes at Chelsea that Maresca doesn't want to comment on."

Watch Cardiff vs Chelsea in the Carabao Cup quarter-final from 7.30pm on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event this Tuesday

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