Enzo Maresca declared himself “happy” after being serenaded by Chelsea fans following their Carabao Cup quarter-final victory at Cardiff.
The Chelsea boss made headlines by saying after Saturday’s win over Everton that the previous 48 hours had been his worst at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca shut down multiple questions at his pre-match press conference on Monday about whom he was targeting, and said after Chelsea’s 3-1 win that he had not spoken to the club’s hierarchy following his weekend comments.
“I’m just happy, we’re going to play another semi-final and I think it’s what the fans deserve,” Maresca said after celebrating with Chelsea fans at the final whistle and having his name sung by them.
“It was a great moment, I appreciate, always thankful. In some moments when you don’t win games, they have been not happy, but it’s normal. But overall, the fans have always been there.
“These are the kind of games that I fall in love even more with the players because you cannot imagine how easy it is to slip, to slide, because they are tricky games.
“Every season there are teams that they lost against, you know, League Two or League One. You need to pay attention, you need to do the right things.”
Alejandro Garnacho struck twice and fellow substitute Pedro Neto was also on target as Chelsea’s substitutes proved the difference in the second half.
Asked if he had spoken to his bosses since the weekend, Maresca said: “No, as I said yesterday (Monday), the day after Everton, I started to prepare Cardiff. Focus on Cardiff.
“Now I just said on the bus I will watch (Saturday’s opponents) Newcastle and I didn’t speak with anyone. I didn’t speak, no it’s OK.
“I always said that I’ve been happy since day one. So it’s not that tonight I’m not happy. I’m happy.
“Now we have three hours to arrive to Cobham (Chelsea’s training ground) and I will watch two Newcastle games.
“There is no time. Time is for the players. For us as a staff, we’re going to be focused on the next one, that is Newcastle, so we’re going to prepare.”
Maresca added Brazil winger Estevao will sit out the Newcastle game with a “small muscle problem” that forced him to miss the Cardiff tie.
David Turnbull had given the League One leaders hopes of causing a shock 15 minutes from time, equalising with a superb diving header.
Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy said: “It’s probably just the hope that kills you when you score a goal.
“I felt we were in the ascendancy and had a great chance to maybe grab a winner, but it wasn’t to be.
“The support was right behind us, even at 3-1, right to the last minute.”
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