Topics: Chelsea, Enzo Maresca, Reece James, Premier League, Football
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has seemingly called out one of his own players ahead of the Blues' Premier League fixture against Fulham on Sunday.
Maresca, 45, will be hoping his side secures a Champions League spot ahead of the 2025/26 campaign as Chelsea currently sit sixth in the Premier League with six matches left to play.
On Thursday, the West London club progressed to the semi-finals of the Conference League, winning 4-2 on aggregate despite losing 2-1 on the night against Legia Warsaw.
However, fans were not pleased with their side’s performance, with several gathered inside Stamford Bridge making their feelings clear at full time.
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And Maresca has seemingly aimed a dig at one of the club’s senior players during a press conference.
The Italian explained how his side is in need of a leader-type character in the dressing room.
“For sure you need that, 100%,” said Maresca during a press conference on Friday (April 18).
"Now, if you don’t have, you need to build also a leadership. And this is the reason why I said at the beginning I was trying to complain a little bit about Reece, because I want more from him. And he’s doing more. So when you don’t have a leader, at least you have to try to build some leader.
“And in this moment, Reece is doing well. We have two, three more players that they are making the effort to help the rest.
"But for sure, when you have a real leader, it’s much better to manage different problems during the season.”
This comes after Maresca called out Reece James in October 2024, revealing how he "expected more" from the England international.
“I spoke with him and I expected from him more in terms of leadership, inside the changing room and for different kinds of things,” said Maresca earlier this season.
“He’s on the way, he’s doing well, he’s progressing, but from Reece, I expected more also in terms of leadership.
"Most of the time when they are captain, they think that because they are captain, they have more, ‘because I am the captain, I expect that you give me more’.
“For me, because you are the captain, you have to give more. You have to give more than the rest. And sometimes it’s, ‘okay, I am the captain, I can give less'.
"He’s one of the captains, and I expected from him, and his teammates expected from him, to give always more in terms of leadership in general.”
Fans were quick to voice their thoughts on social media.
One said: "Had plenty of chances to bring in a real leader. Instead opted for Jadon Sancho and Dewsbury-Hall."
Another added: "Yeah just what you should tell the squad before the run in. That’ll get the spirits up."
While a third claimed: "Previous bad Chelsea managers I’ve just wanted them to leave cause they were doing bad and didn’t suit Chelsea… I genuinely dislike Maresca."
