Enzo Maresca explains why he has 'no time' as Chelsea boss as he opens up on intense preparations for Newcastle clash

After Chelsea beat Everton 2-0 in the Premier League at the weekend, Maresca said the 48 hours before the contest were "the worst since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team". The 45-year-old refused to divulge to whom his comments were directed and then stuck by his guns when asked about them again before their 3-1 EFL Cup victory at Cardiff on Tuesday.

He said on Monday: "The way the players want to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise them - because with so many problems, they are doing very well after a complicated week. Since I joined the club the last 48 hours has been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because many people didn’t support us. So very happy for Malo in that moment that the effort from Malo and the rest showed that they are all there and want to help this club."

Maresca then added: "In general. In general. I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

After Chelsea progressed to the last four of the Carabao Cup, Maresca clearly enjoyed having his name sung by the travelling fans, with the Italian saying matches like these helped him "fall in love" with football. 

He told reporters: "I’m just happy, we’re going to play another semi-final and I think it’s what the fans deserve. It was a great moment, I appreciate, always thankful. In some moments when you don’t win games, they have been not happy, but it’s normal. But overall, the fans have always been there. These are the kind of games that I fall in love even more with the players because you cannot imagine how easy it is to slip, to slide, because they are tricky games. Every season there are teams that they lost against, you know, League Two or League One. You need to pay attention, you need to do the right things."

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Chelsea's tiring schedule continues this weekend when they take on Newcastle at St James' Park on Saturday. And Maresca was quick to talk about their swift turnaround ahead of that challenging away fixture.

When it was put to him that he didn't look "super happy" despite saying he was, Maresca replied: "No, no, I'm happy. Now, we have three hours to arrive at Cobham. I will watch two Newcastle games. There is no time. Time is for the players. For us, as the staff, we are going to focus on the next one, that is Newcastle. So we are going to prepare but you cannot imagine how happy I am for the players because it's another semi-final for them, for the fans, for everyone."

Chelsea have repeatedly played three games a week this season and the Newcastle clash will ensure that pattern continues at the weekend. By their standards, they have a relatively longer break before they welcome Aston Villa when they entertain Unai Emery's men on December 27, however, before Bournemouth visit Stamford Bridge three days later. 

Incidentally, after Chelsea's win over Cardiff, double goal-scorer Alejandro Garnacho said: "They were a very strong team. We weren't focused on which league they play in. They did a really good job but we're happy to be in the semi-finals. They brought me on and I tried to help the team. Me, [Joao] Pedro and the rest of the players did that. We are really happy. As a group we are doing really well. Sometimes you have to start games and sometimes you have to help from the bench. We don't focus on this, we just try to help the team. We'll try to compete for everything - and the semi-final is the next one so we'll try to win."