Today is a press conference we’ve all been waiting for – Enzo Maresca is speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow night’s game against Cardiff.
Given it’s an EFL Cup game against a Championship team there is not too much interest in the details of the match. Everyone is there to find out about the fallout from the manager’s comments at the weekend. Following the 2-0 win over Everton, Maresca went on a rant in his post match presser where he said he had just had the “worst 48 hours” since joining Chelsea.
He said he had had a lack of support, but didn’t reveal any more when pressed. So of course, today everyone wanted to know more.
Maresca battles through questions in press conference
Enzo Maresca on the touchline.
Enzo Maresca on the touchline. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
He started off trying to deflect: “I respect your opinion and people’s opinion. I have nothing to add. My focus is on tomorrow’s game and that we can achieve the third semi-final in my time at the club.”
But nobody was taking that for their answer. They forced him to clarify again that it wasn’t the fans who he had a problem with: “I said after the game that I love Chelsea supporters – they deserve the best. Again, I don’t have nothing to add.”
Asked if he was still committed to being Chelsea coach he said “absolutely, yes.”
There was then some brief Cardiff chat, before getting back into it. Asked if he had explained what he meant by his comments to people at the club, he said “I already spoke about that [subject]. I don’t need to add more things. I started to prepare the Cardiff game the morning after Everton.”
Finally he refused to blame it on his English:
“I can speak Italian, my language, Spanish very well, French, English, I think I was clear with what I said. It’s done, it’s finished. It was after the game, I said what I said, and it’s done. It’s finished. Now, Cardiff. We need to move forward because tomorrow we have Cardiff.”