ENZO MARESCA REACTS IN DETAIL TO ANGE POSTECOGLOU SACKING SHOCK
Enzo Maresca reacts to Chelsea's 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest and Ange Postecoglou's sacking. The Blues boss discussed his team's performance, red card concerns, and provided injury updates on Enzo Fernandez and Wesley Fofana.
After Chelsea defeated Nottingham Forest 3-0 this afternoon, Enzo Maresca just finished his post-match press conference.
The Blues defeated Forest, who recently fired Ange Postecoglou, by three points thanks to goals in the second half from Josh Acheampong, Pedro Neto, and Reece James. He did not even show up for his post-match press conference because the decision to fire the former Tottenham manager was made just after the game.
However, Maresca did, and the complete transcript is available below:
How do you feel about Postecoglou's dismissal?
I did not talk to Ange. I said, "I feel really terrible for him," even though I did not see him. However, as I have stated numerous times, in this line of work, the consequences for everyone are the same if you lose a game. I am sad for him.
How did you find the director's box experience?
Horrible. It felt awful to be there. To be honest, I would rather be in the dugout. However, we did win the game. I believe that we had some difficulty in the first half. I think we did well off the ball. We made a few errors with the ball that allowed them to gain some time. We were far better in the second half. We can definitely perform better when it comes to red cards. We can avoid that error. It is 3-0, and we have already received one yellow card.
On the other hand, I must admit that the players want to avoid giving up a goal. Additionally, they were yelling at one another, "Do not concede, do not concede," throughout the last four or five minutes. Therefore, we can definitely avoid receiving a second yellow card. However, they also demonstrated their intent to play for a clean sheet and avoid giving up anything. Additionally, this is crucial.
Do you find the number of red cards concerning?
Once more, there is room for improvement, but I do not care. I am aware that some of you are wondering why he does not seem worried. Since I enjoy analysis, I am not worried. Yes, it is a situation where we consider a red card. That is something we can definitely avoid.
However, I also think that the athletes' desire is significant. Today, the game is over after 90 minutes with a score of 3-0. Malo [Gusto] can avoid it since a second foul on a yellow card is definitely pointless. The good news is that Malo is demonstrating that he is unwilling to make any concessions. They are playing for a clean sheet and do not want to give up a goal. We can definitely avoid that; that is the balance.
At halftime, you made three substitutions. Did you choose the wrong team?
I always try to give it my all. I am correct sometimes and wrong other times. But just now, player protection is the first priority. Romeo [Lavia] was not going to play ninety minutes, as we already knew.
Romeo had forty-five minutes in mind. It was decided to start Romeo or Moi because Moi [Caicedo] is unable to play 90 minutes. Romeo also needs to start the game, get a boost, and gain confidence. That was the plan, then. Then, against Liverpool, Garna [Garnacho] played a great game. Therefore, it was wise to give him another chance.
Come on, Jamie [Gittens] was fine. Marc Guiu was good, too, in my opinion. However, we also anticipated that they would return four, not five, as we designed the game. Joao Pedras at No. 9 in the back four is superior, in my opinion. Joao Pedro at number nine with the back five is not... Remember when we fielded Joao Pedro and Liam Delap against a back five when West Ham was away? We therefore anticipated that they would return four, but they returned five. Following halftime, we changed.
How did you feel about Marc Guiu's influence and Josh Acheampong's performance?
Guiu, who I believe played for 15 minutes against Liverpool, was excellent in his fights with Van Dijk, Konate, and Gravenberch. He won a corner against Morato today after the second half had lasted one minute. Marc must provide that to us.
Yes, it is not lazy in my opinion. It is careless. We appeared careless during the build-up. Some of the mistakes we made were inadequate.
Why were Wesley Fofana and Enzo Fernandez present?
No, Enzo did have a minor issue. A little issue is that we are now unable to determine whether he will be available for Ajax. And Wes is merely an attempt to somewhat shield him.
Wes and Josh are the same to me. Wes is going to play games, as I have stated numerous times, and I genuinely like him. However, it was only for protection. For Ajax, he will be available.
Are you protecting when you say "protected"?
Generally. What we need to do with Wes, Romeo, and Reece, in my opinion, is to follow our course of action with Reece. Reece is currently playing three games a week, participating in nearly every game, and he is in good shape. We must also attempt to do the same with Romeo and Wes. I wish Romeo, Wes, and Reece could be on the pitch at every game. However, it is not feasible. It is not feasible; we must control them. This season, keeping everyone healthy and rotating is the major goal.
I always try to give it my all. I am correct sometimes and wrong other times. But just now, player protection is the first priority. Romeo [Lavia] was not going to play ninety minutes, as we already knew.
Romeo had forty-five minutes in mind. It was decided to start Romeo or Moi because Moi [Caicedo] is unable to play 90 minutes. Romeo also needs to start the game, get a boost, and gain confidence. That was the plan, then. Then, against Liverpool, Garna [Garnacho] played a great game. Therefore, it was wise to give him another chance.
Come on, Jamie [Gittens] was fine. Marc Guiu was good, too, in my opinion. However, we also anticipated that they would return four, not five, as we designed the game. Joao Pedras at No. 9 in the back four is superior, in my opinion. Joao Pedro at number nine with the back five is not... Remember when we fielded Joao Pedro and Liam Delap against a back five when West Ham was away? We therefore anticipated that they would return four, but they returned five. Following halftime, we changed.
How did you feel about Marc Guiu's influence and Josh Acheampong's performance?
Guiu, who I believe played for 15 minutes against Liverpool, was excellent in his fights with Van Dijk, Konate, and Gravenberch. He won a corner against Morato today after the second half had lasted one minute. Marc must provide that to us.
JAVIER PASTORE SLAMS LIAM ROSENIOR’S "UNFAIR" SUSPENSION OF STAR ENZO FERNANDEZ
Enzo Fernandez’s agent warns Chelsea over "unfair" treatment as Real Madrid rumours swirl ahead of the World Cup.
Enzo Fernandez’s agent isn’t holding back; he just blasted Chelsea’s head coach, Liam Rosenior, and the higher-ups, calling the decision to bench Fernandez “completely unfair.” Fernandez, fresh off a World Cup win with Argentina, got punished after saying in an interview that he’d like to live in Madrid someday. Of course, that kicked off a round of speculation connecting him to Real Madrid.
His agent, Javier Pastore, who used to play for PSG, can’t believe Chelsea took such a hard line. Rosenior made it official: Fernandez won’t play in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Port Vale, or next weekend’s key Premier League meeting with Manchester City. The coach said Fernandez crossed the line when it comes to the club’s values, after talking about his interest in Spain.
But Pastore says that’s just not right. “This punishment doesn’t fit at all. You’re banning one of Chelsea’s most important players from two really crucial games that could decide if they make the Champions League,” he told The Athletic. Pastore says Fernandez is an anchor for the squad and, in his view, there’s no real justification for such a harsh response.
All this goes back to Fernandez telling an interviewer he’d like to live in Spain one day. Rosenior saw that as a distraction and disrespectful to the club, but Pastore insists his client was just honest about his lifestyle preferences, not making a pitch for a Real Madrid move. According to Pastore, Fernandez didn’t ask for this, and even though he accepted the coach’s call because he’s professional and respects the team, he still doesn’t get why it happened. “He never mentioned any club or said he wanted to leave Chelsea, not even close,” Pastore added. Fernandez only brought up Madrid because it reminds him of Buenos Aires, with the language and culture. “He never said he wanted to leave Chelsea or London,” Pastore pointed out.
And the timing couldn’t be messier. The club and Fernandez’s team have been talking about a possible contract extension for the £107 million signing, but this drama just put everything under a microscope. Pastore warned the board that if they don’t reach a new deal by the end of this summer’s World Cup, Fernandez will start looking at other clubs. That’s more pressure on a club already juggling internal issues. Pastore blamed journalists for overhyping Fernandez’s comments, insisting, “He never said he wanted to leave reporters just twisted things.”
Fernandez isn’t the only one clashing with Rosenior, either. The manager recently had to deal with Marc Cucurella’s interview about wanting to go back to Barcelona. Cucurella didn’t get suspended, but Rosenior made it clear he wasn’t happy those views went public instead of being handled inside the club. So, there’s definitely more than one fire to put out at Cobham these days.
MOISES CAICEDO SPARKS REAL MADRID TRANSFER RUMORS WITH "TIME WILL TELL" ADMISSION
Chelsea’s season hits a low point as Caicedo admits tactical struggles and refuses to rule out a Real Madrid move.
Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo isn’t exactly shutting down the rumours about a move to Real Madrid. When reporters asked if he could see himself joining Madrid one day, he dodged a firm answer. It’s a messy time for Chelsea, too, with captain Enzo Fernandez openly saying he likes Madrid and wouldn’t mind living in Spain. Fernandez got dropped for the next two games, and his agent is fuming about what he called an “unfair” decision.
It’s not helping the mood at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea just crashed out of the Champions League after four straight losses to PSG, and they’ve slipped to sixth in the league. The new manager, Liam Rosenior, is trying to pull everyone together before Saturday’s FA Cup quarterfinal against Port Vale. Still, there’s clear tension: Marc Cucurella used the international break to voice his own frustration.
Now Caicedo, another crucial player, has added to the uncertainty. Speaking to reporters in Madrid while on duty with Ecuador, he didn’t exactly hide the possibility of switching clubs: “You never really know in football, right?” he said. “I’m under contract with Chelsea, and honestly, I haven’t thought about leaving. But you just never know.”
He didn’t leave much doubt that he’s enjoying his time in London, though. “Chelsea is a great club. They’ve looked after me since I got here, and I want to give something back every game, for as long as I’m here. Time will tell.”
Caicedo has made 139 appearances since Chelsea spent £115 million to bring him in from Brighton last August. His contract runs until June 2031, which makes all the transfer talk kind of hypothetical for now, but his other quotes didn’t exactly kill the speculation.
Then there’s the coaching situation. Cucurella spoke up about how the team has struggled since Enzo Maresca left in January, and Caicedo agreed. “It’s tough. We got used to a certain style with Maresca, and Rosenior does things differently. It’s been hard to adapt,” he said. “Sometimes you adjust fast, sometimes it takes longer. Honestly, the whole team feels it right now. But we just have to push through. There’s still a lot to play for.”
