Cucurella insists Maresca's mid-season departure was not something he would have altered.

By Enitan Abdultawab

Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella has admitted that the club is still grappling with the fallout from Enzo Maresca’s mid-season exit, insisting the decision disrupted stability at a crucial point in the campaign.

Speaking candidly about the situation in a presser to TheAthletic FC, the Spanish left-back, who is currently on international duty with Spain, said the timing of the managerial change had a significant impact on the squad, especially given the limited time to adapt to new ideas under current boss Liam Rosenior.

“The moment Maresca left, it had a big impact on us,” Cucurella said. “These are decisions taken by the club. If you asked me, I would not have made this decision. To make a change like that, the best thing is to wait until the end of the season.”

Chelsea’s struggles have been evident in recent weeks, with the team enduring a poor run of form and crashing out of the UEFA Champions League after an 8-2 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The heavy loss exposed deeper issues within the squad, including a lack of experience and cohesion.

Cucurella acknowledged that the team failed to manage key moments in the tie, particularly in the first leg when they lost control late on.

“We lacked experience,” he said. “For a lot of players, it was the first time playing a match of that calibre, and we paid the price.

“You can always make a mistake, but we should have handled it better. There was a return game to play. We made a mistake, tried to attack without a clear structure and then PSG took the chance.”

The defender also pointed to the club’s recruitment strategy, which has prioritised young players, as a factor complicating Chelsea’s push for major honours.

“We have a good core of players. The foundations are there,” he said. “But to fight for major trophies, you need more. Signing young players only might complicate achieving those goals.”

Cucurella’s concerns echo those reportedly raised by midfielder Enzo Fernandez, underlining growing unease within the dressing room about the club’s direction and lack of continuity.

Despite backing Rosenior as “a very good person” with strong ideas, Cucurella admitted the team has struggled to fully implement the new manager’s philosophy due to a congested fixture schedule.

“We don’t have the time to train them,” he explained. “We train on competitive games, because we play every three days. In this context, it is normal that your plans sometimes don’t work out.”

“With Enzo Maresca in charge, we were more stable. In our last months with him, we played almost by heart,” he said.

Cucurella ultimately stressed that building a successful team requires patience, pointing to long-term projects like Arsenal under Mikel Arteta as evidence.

“You need a process for every player to understand what we need to do,” he added. “That trust in the project gives rewards.”