Enzo Maresca Refuses to Seek Support from Chelsea Fans After Being Booed Off the Pitch

Enzo Maresca chose not to plead for the support of Chelsea’s disenchanted fans after his struggling side faced jeers during their 2-2 draw with Ipswich on Sunday.

The Blues’ manager and his players were met with boos at half-time, trailing 2-0 against a side sitting third from bottom in the table.

Chelsea enjoyed a dominant start to the match, yet found themselves behind when Julio Enciso scored following a cutback from Ben Johnson, against the run of play.

Johnson then doubled Ipswich’s advantage with a header from Enciso’s cross, creating a hostile atmosphere at Stamford Bridge.

This goal prompted Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to disregard Maresca’s favoured strategy of playing out from the back, opting instead to launch the ball long, ultimately leading to Ipswich’s assault.

Despite Chelsea’s resurgence, which included an own goal by Axel Tuanzebe and a remarkable late strike by Jadon Sancho, the draw did little to aid their Champions League aspirations.

The Blues currently sit in sixth position, just one point shy of fifth-placed Manchester City, with six matches remaining in their pursuit of a top-five finish for Champions League qualification.

Maresca appeared to indicate that the fans’ dissatisfaction with Chelsea’s sluggish build-up play may have hastened Sanchez’s decision to play a long ball that resulted in a goal against them.

“We are a team that usually plays short from goal-kicks,” Maresca stated, having previously mentioned he would substitute players who failed to adhere to his instructions about building play from the back.

“For the second goal, we opted to go long because of the atmosphere, and that led to our conceding.”

“We conceded after the players decided to play the long ball, but going long doesn’t guarantee control. The second goal we conceded was a result of that.”

Once again, amid a challenging first season at the helm, Maresca faced boos from the stands during a disjointed Chelsea performance.

Nonetheless, the London club remains in contention for Champions League qualification and holds a 3-0 lead following the first leg against Legia Warsaw in the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals.

The Italian refrained from begging for the fans’ support but acknowledged that their backing would enhance their chances.

“We are stronger with our supporters; we perform better as a team. It’s up to them to choose how to respond. When we were 0-1 and 0-2 down, it’s understandable for them to react that way,” he concluded.