Enzo Maresca responds to Chelsea boos: ‘With our fans, we are a better team’ | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca has called on the Chelsea fans to continue supporting the team after being subject to boos following their 2-2 with Ipswich.

Maresca and his Chelsea players were subject to boos from supporters at Stamford Bridge after Sunday’s draw with Ipswich, which saw the Blues come from 2-0 down to rescue a point against the relegation threatened Tractor Boys.

The west Londoners head into their Conference League quarter-final second leg against Legia Warsaw with a 3-0 lead after Tyrique George and Noni Madueke goals put Maresca’s men within touching distance of the semi-finals.

When asked to comment about the atmosphere, Maresca called on supporters to get behind their team and make them ‘stronger’.

The message is always the same,” Maresca said. “Us, with our fans, we are a better team, stronger. It’s also on us to be good enough and to engage our fans because this season, when we want to engage them, they support us.

“I think football belongs to the fans. As a team, when your fans support you, it’s important because the players can see that feeling. We need to be good enough to engage them.

“Last game, we were not good enough for 35 minutes to engage them. But in the first 20 minutes of the second-half, we did enough to win the game. The fans, for me, are important because they are the main part of any club.

“If fans complain because after four minutes, our keeper gives the ball away, if I am one of the fans, I also complain. But sometimes they complain with something they can probably not see but it is the plan. The only thing I can say is the fans with us have been always good.

“Sometimes they are not happy, but when you are 2-0 down to Ipswich and we are making some mistakes, it is normal they are not happy. We need to be good enough to engage the fans. Against Spurs, it is a different game and we were able to engage the people.”