Maresca Delivers Blunt Warning to Chelsea Squad Following Explosive Owner Showdown
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca stated he conveyed a "direct" message to his squad following their 3–1 home loss to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, while downplaying the importance of senior officials entering the changing room after the match.
The Blues were looking to bounce back in the Premier League after suffering a loss at Manchester United in a turbulent clash the week before.
A close-range header from Enzo Fernández put them ahead, but the match shifted when Trevoh Chalobah received a red card for fouling Diego Gómez near the Chelsea penalty area. Brighton subsequently leveled through Danny Welbeck and netted twice during stoppage time to secure all three points for their journey back to the south coast.
The loss positions Chelsea in eighth place and extends their winless streak in the league since the international break.
It was a triumph handed on a silver platter to the Seagulls, with Maresca again criticizing Chelsea's errors. Speaking following the loss, the Italian informed Sky Sports: "The message we just delivered inside [the changing room] has been quite direct: against any side in the Premier League you cannot keep giving away gifts, because what we are doing right now is handing out presents in the form of red cards, which is a major error because the match completely transformed."
Reports also surfaced of co-owner Behdad Eghbali, along with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, entering the home changing room after the game, but Maresca dismissed this as routine.
"They have been in the dressing room, as usual. We have an office within the changing room, where, following every match, we gather and discuss the game. But they didn't address the players. It was nothing entirely different from the other matches," he explained.
Chelsea, who are presently missing Cole Palmer due to a groin problem, return to Champions League duty midweek, as they host José Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge. The three-time Premier League winner has enjoyed a successful beginning to his second tenure with Benfica, and will be eager to add more disappointment to a Pep Guardiola protégé on Tuesday evening.