LONDON — Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has moved to calm speculation over boardroom unrest, revealing the true reason behind the club’s owners storming the dressing room after Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat to Brighton.
Eyewitnesses saw co-owner Behdad Eghbali, alongside sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, descend into the tunnel immediately after the final whistle. Their presence sparked talk of a furious confrontation and growing doubts about Maresca’s future just four months into his tenure.
But the Italian, speaking in a tense press conference delayed by nearly an hour, downplayed the incident, insisting it was nothing unusual.
“They have been inside the changing-room, like always,” Maresca explained. “We have an office inside the dressing-room where, after every game, we sit and talk about the match. But they did not say anything to the players. It was nothing completely different compared to the rest of the games.”
Far from a dramatic intervention, Maresca framed the visit as part of the ownership’s routine post-match debriefs — a Clearlake Capital-led habit since their 2022 takeover.
Collapse After Red Card
Chelsea had dominated the first half, with Enzo Fernández’s 24th-minute header putting them ahead after neat work from Reece James and Moisés Caicedo. But the game flipped five minutes into the second half when Trevoh Chalobah was shown a straight red for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
From there, Brighton took full advantage. Danny Welbeck struck twice, either side of Maxim De Cuyper’s stoppage-time header, to seal the Seagulls’ first win at Stamford Bridge since 1977.
Maresca admitted his side’s indiscipline continues to cost them.
“The red card changed everything — we were in control,” he said. “We gave away presents, and at this level, you pay for it.”
Pressure Mounts
The result came just days after Chelsea’s 2-1 Champions League loss to Bayern Munich, intensifying scrutiny on Maresca. Social media trended with #EnzoOut, while pundits questioned how long the board’s patience would last.
Yet, reliable sources including The Telegraph’s Matt Law suggest the hierarchy still back Maresca, viewing the poor run as the product of injuries and suspensions rather than systemic failings. Chelsea are currently without Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, and Tosin Adarabioyo — leaving Axel Disasi as their only fit senior centre-back.
Chelsea’s next test is a daunting clash against Liverpool, followed by a European trip to Benfica. For now, Maresca’s candid clarification has cooled talk of crisis. But with just three wins from eight games, the Italian knows results must improve quickly if he is to hold off the growing noise around his position.
