Enzo Maresca praised Chelsea’s supporters after hearing his name sung during Tuesday night’s 3-1 victory over Cardiff City in the League Cup quarter-finals.

The Blues secured a place in the semi-finals thanks to a brace from Alejandro Garnacho and a goal from Pedro Neto, after David Turnbull had levelled for League One leaders Cardiff. While Chelsea were made to work hard in a competitive encounter, the win marked their third semi-final appearance in 18 months and offered further evidence of Maresca’s growing influence since arriving from Leicester in 2024.

The timing of the victory was significant. After Saturday’s 2-0 Premier League win over Everton, Maresca admitted the previous 48 hours had been his toughest spell at Stamford Bridge, citing a lack of “support” from “many people”. Those comments sparked speculation that the Italian was taking aim at Chelsea’s ownership group — Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali — as well as sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.

It has been suggested Maresca felt disappointed by the club hierarchy’s failure to publicly back him amid criticism of his rotation policy during a recent downturn in form. The win over Cardiff was just Chelsea’s second in six matches across all competitions.

Despite that, Maresca — who guided the club to Club World Cup and UEFA Conference League success earlier this year — was warmly received by the travelling support. Chelsea fans serenaded their manager throughout the match, and Maresca made a point of crossing the pitch at full-time to acknowledge them.

“I’m just happy because we’re going to play another semi-final, and I think that’s what the fans deserve,” Maresca said. “It was a great moment. I really appreciate it and I’m always thankful. When you don’t win games, it’s normal that people aren’t happy, but overall the fans have always been there.”

Asked whether he had spoken to Chelsea’s hierarchy since the Everton match, Maresca was clear. “No,” he said. “As I said yesterday, the day after Everton I started preparing for Cardiff. I didn’t speak to anyone. I’ve always said I’ve been happy since day one, and that hasn’t changed.”

Maresca also appears to retain the full backing of his players, who responded positively after he made the bold decision to rotate heavily, naming an entirely new starting XI and resting England forward Cole Palmer.

Chelsea were without teenage winger Estevao, who will miss Saturday’s Premier League trip to Newcastle due to a minor muscle problem.

“These are the games where I fall even more in love with the players,” Maresca added. “It’s very easy to slip up because these are tricky matches. Every season, big teams lose to lower-league opposition. You have to stay focused and do the right things.”