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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has criticized his squad for their defensive flaws. The Italian believes the Blues have substantial room for improvement at the back.
The west Londoners have been leaking goals in pre-season under Maresca. Chelsea conceded four goals in their club friendlies against Manchester City and Celtic this summer.
The Blues recently suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid. Speaking after the loss, Maresca highlighted Chelsea's defensive record under Mauricio Pochettino last season, having conceded 63 goals in the Premier League.
Maresca wants the Blues to work on not conceding goals with a high defensive line. He said (via The Mirror):
"One of my first meetings with the squad was about the amount of goals we conceded last year with the defensive line very high. We are not working on defensive lines so high. It's a habit from last year, or years ago, I don't know."
He added:
"We are trying to drop the defensive line a little bit, usually about four or five metres, just to have some advantage. Last year, we already conceded many goals with this problem. Hopefully we can solve it very soon."
While Pochettino's side saw turbulent form in the English top flight last term, they managed a strong finish to the campaign. After spending most of the season in the middle of the table, Chelsea secured a sixth-place finish and with it, European football.
Enzo Maresca insists Enzo Fernandez is 'respected' by teammates after Chelsea star's video of racist chant
Enzo Maresca has affirmed that Enzo Fernandez remains an integral part of the squad and is still respected by his teammates after his racist chant debacle.
Fernandez won the 2024 Copa America with Argentina after beating Colombia in the final. During the team's celebrations, Fernandez and his international teammates could be seen singing a derogatory chant when he went live on Instagram.
The song, which originated at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, was directed at the France national team. Fernandez has since apologized for his behavior but has been condemned by many, including his Chelsea teammates.
However, Maresca has iterated Fernandez's place in his squad after his side's defeat to Real Madrid. During the game, Blues captain Reece James was subbed off and he gave the armband to Fernandez.
Maresca was asked after the match whether Fernandez is now vice-captain. He said (via Eurosport):
"Enzo is one of the important players. To be honest, I think Reece [James] when we changed him, he gave the armband to Enzo. This shows how Enzo is respected inside the squad. I think it's quite clear."
