Maresca Slams Fake News on Squad Size, Delivers Candid Message to Raheem Sterling

It feels like a fresh breeze at Chelsea. Enzo Maresca is charismatic and is not afraid to speak the truth. There were many soft managers before who were afraid to confront media, journalists and haters on social media. Graham Potter, Frank Lampard and Mauricio Pochettino were too weak when defending the club. Enzo Maresca's press conference reminded us of Jose Mourinho's beginning and you could feel that this guy could be ''the special one'' or rather ''the bold one''.

Maresca was quick to dispel the rumours that Chelsea’s squad size is unmanageable, refuting claims that he is dealing with an unmanageable number of players. “You like to say we have 42-43 players, but more than 15 players are apart from the team. I am working with about 25. It’s not a mess like it looks from the outside,” Maresca stated, firmly shutting down the narrative of chaos within the squad.

When questioned about the size of contracts and their impact on the team, Maresca was equally dismissive. “They can even have 20-year contracts, it’s not my point. I don’t care,” he said, making it clear that his focus is solely on managing the players that fit into his plans and not on the length or terms of their contracts.

The conversation then shifted to Raheem Sterling, with reports swirling that the winger was being pushed out of the project at Chelsea. Maresca confirmed this, saying, “I’ve been honest, he will have no minutes here. I am not saying Raheem is not a good player, but I prefer different kinds of wingers. It’s simple.” He also emphasized that he has already had a direct conversation with Sterling and has nothing new to add. “If he wants a chat again, I’ll tell him exactly the same things that I already told him. I don’t have anything new to tell him because I was quite clear.”

Maresca also addressed the challenge of keeping a large squad content, acknowledging that “It's almost impossible to keep all of them happy,” but reaffirming his commitment to making the best decisions for the team. He added, “Things can still happen in terms of new signings and outgoings. We will see.”

Overall, Maresca’s press conference was a strong message to the media, shutting down fake news and clarifying his stance on key issues within the squad. His focus remains on guiding Chelsea to success, regardless of external noise and speculation.

It didn't take long for Enzo Maresca to gain some respect from the Chelsea fans. In a fiery press conference, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca didn’t hold back when addressing the media about the ongoing rumours and speculations surrounding the squad size and Raheem Sterling's role at the club.