Marc Cucurella has criticised Chelsea’s board for allowing Enzo Maresca to go away and says Arsenal are being ‘rewarded’ for the trust they showed in Mikel Arteta.
Maresca left Stamford Bridge at first of January, lower than six months after winning the Club World Cup at the top of his first season at Chelsea.
The Italian guided Chelsea to a fourth-place finish last season and won the Conference League, but a poor run of form in December and conflicts together with his bosses led to his exit.
Chelsea enjoyed a promising start under Maresca’s substitute Liam Rosenior however the Blues have struggled because the start of February.
A Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal sparked a worrying run by which Chelsea were eliminated from the Champions League by PSG and won just considered one of their last six Premier League games.
Rosenior is already believed to be under pressure in west London and Cucurella, who has been at Chelsea since 2022, has bemoaned Maresca’s departure, pointing to the success Arsenal look set to enjoy under Arteta, a manager they backed despite some early teething problems.
‘Liam is a excellent person and has been great at handling the group, the characters,’ Cucurella told The Athletic. ‘He likes to remain near us and his football ideas are good, but we don’t have the time to coach them.
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‘We train on (playing in) competitive games, because we play every three days and that leaves you with no time to work on the training ground.
‘On this context, it’s normal that your plans sometimes don’t work out, after which we undergo difficult moments.
‘With Enzo Maresca in charge, we were more stable, because we worked together for 18 months. In the event you have a look at our first pre-season with him, there have been doubts.
‘You would like a process for each player to know what we’d like to do. In our last months with Maresca, we played almost by heart. If we modified the system, we knew what we needed to do. You would like that point.
‘Take a look at Arsenal now, who’re fighting for each trophy. They’ve been with (Mikel) Arteta for nearly seven years they usually haven’t won much. But that trust within the project gives rewards.’
Cucurella added: ‘We knew what Maresca wanted from us. Winning a title just like the Club World Cup also helps, strengthens the bond, and also you create great relationships through the celebrations.
‘When a manager gives you that confidence and offers you a platform to fight for titles, you’d die for him.
‘The moment Maresca left, it had a big effect on us. These are decisions taken by the club. In the event you asked me, I’d not have made this decision.
‘To make a change like that, one of the best thing is to attend until the top of the season. You’ll give everyone, the players and the brand new manager, time to prepare, have a full pre-season…
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‘The instability across the club comes from this, in a nutshell. We had a caretaker first, then a brand new manager, with recent ideas and no time to work on them. It’s what it’s.’
Cucurella has also criticised Chelsea’s transfer policy which has seen numerous talented but inexperienced players arrive at Stamford Bridge.
‘I understand this is an element of the club’s policy, and that they wish to take this direction – signing young players and searching to the long run,’ Cucurella said.
‘But, for all of us who’re still here and need to win big things, moments like this make you’re feeling discouraged. We now have core of players. The foundations are there.
‘But to fight for major trophies akin to the Premier League or the Champions League, you would like more. Signing young players only might complicate achieving those goals.
‘You would like time as well, and I do know the young players are those that may have the experience in the long run. But it’s essential find the balance between each worlds.’
Chelsea’s recent dip has left them sixth within the Premier League, six points outside the top-four places. The Blues are in FA Cup motion this weekend, facing League One strugglers Port Vale for a spot within the semi-finals.
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