Chelsea’s head coach admits the truth about himself ahead of the Champions League clash with Benfica

A common thread in both games was Chelsea receiving red cards. These dismissals directly impacted the matches, but what angered fans most was Maresca’s response and the controversial personnel changes he made.

Against Manchester United, after goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was sent off, Maresca immediately substituted both forwards Estevao and Pedro Neto within five minutes, stripping Chelsea of attacking strength. Similarly, in the Brighton match, following Trevoh Chalobah’s red card, he again withdrew attacking players, leaving the team pressured and ultimately suffering a bitter defeat.

These actions led to severe criticism of Maresca, with some suggesting he had given up too soon. Under increasing pressure, Chelsea’s leadership felt compelled to publicly back the Italian coach just before a critical phase featuring key matches against Benfica and Liverpool, before the October international break.

In Monday’s press conference, the 45-year-old coach exhibited a significant change in attitude. He candidly accepted responsibility for the recent controversial decisions and viewed them as lessons for himself.

"Certainly, after reviewing the last two matches against Manchester United and Brighton while playing with only 10 men, I could have made better decisions. That’s undeniable. But for me, this is also a learning curve, since no coach often faces situations requiring them to play with a player down."

"Unfortunately, we encountered that scenario twice consecutively. Statistics reveal that in the past six months, out of five defeats, four involved red cards: against Newcastle, Flamengo, Manchester United, and Brighton. The only loss with full squads was away at Bayern Munich. Therefore, I believe there’s no reason to panic, as football is always unpredictable."

"If you lose five matches in half a year and feel the need to explain yourself, it just shows how crazy football really is. I don’t think we need to justify ourselves now because I remain very positive about the current team. Compared to last season, everyone has progressed: players have gained more experience, and I personally feel much more confident. I’m aware I still have much to learn, like how to handle situations with only 10 men. But that’s part of the process, and I firmly believe Chelsea’s future will improve."

These self-aware and humble statements brought a refreshing perspective at a time when Chelsea urgently needed analysis and adjustments to fix errors. Maresca’s honesty is seen as a key factor, helping both him and the players learn lessons to advance in the coming period.

However, whether Maresca genuinely learns from his mistakes remains to be proven over time. At the very least, he will hope Chelsea avoids red cards in the near future, especially in this week’s match against Benfica, or else his ability to manage when reduced to 10 men will again be questioned.