Enzo Maresca accused of having ‘really bad impact’ on Chelsea star

Emmanuel Petit believes Enzo Maresca’s treatment of Estevao Willian could have a ‘really bad impact’ on the Chelsea star.

Estevao has quickly established himself as one of the most promising players in world football since his £51m move from Palmeiras last summer.

The 18-year-old, who has long been compared to Brazil legend Neymar, has already earned 11 international caps, scoring five goals.

Estevao’s form for Chelsea has been more inconsistent, with the winger only scoring one goal in the Premier League, though he has another four in cup competitions.

Despite being hugely excited by Estevao’s potential, some Chelsea fans were critical of Maresca’s treatment of the youngster, who has started less than half of the club’s games.

Petit, meanwhile, has criticised Maresca for mentioning Estevao in the same breath as Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal, claiming he inadvertently put ‘so much pressure’ on the Chelsea summer signing.

‘If I’m Estevao, I would say, “Thank you very much, Gaffer. Thank you very much for bringing the spotlight on me, you know, to put so much pressure on me”,’ Petit told Snabbare.

‘Putting him in the same sentence with Lamine Yamal? Come on. He’s got talent, this guy. He’s 18, just like Lamine Yamal. But he’s not playing at the same level.

‘He [Maresca] is not living in the same world, you know? Lamine Yamal is fighting for the Ballon d’Or, you know what I mean? Estevao, I wish that one day he would fight for the Ballon d’Or, but definitely not today.

‘What Enzo Maresca said about him, this is typical of what a manager shouldn’t say.

‘And if he does that, it’s probably because he wants to put pressure on him. But this is not the best way to put him under pressure. Because now, the media, the fans, will think, “Look at what Maresca said”.

‘So every time Estevao plays and he doesn’t perform well, we will kill him. Because he should play just like Lamine Yamal or Messi.

‘So if I’m Estevao, I will probably go in front of the journalists and say, “Listen, I appreciate what Maresca, the boss, said about me, but come on, Lamine Yamal is up there… I’m just at the start of my career, you know. He’s so far away from me.”

‘I hope one day he is at his level, but it’s not today. He needs to work hard, step by step, and show humility. These comments could have a really bad impact.’

In Maresca’s defence, he only ever mentioned Estevao in the same breath as Yamal when he was asked about the comparisons between two of the most exciting players in the world.

Ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League clash against Barcelona in November, in which Estevao scored a super goal, Maresca said: ‘Estevao is already playing at a high level and is starting games for Brazil.

‘He is very young and for sure can do many things better, but we are very happy with him.

‘It’s nice for people who love football to watch players like Estevao, Lamine Yamal, Pedri. We are happy that Estevao is with us because he is going to be an important player for this club in the future, no doubt.

‘The most important thing for Estevao now is that he has to enjoy his football, he has to be happy, and not think about being better than this player or that player.

‘He just has to be better than himself day by day, work hard and improve, and for sure he will be a top player for this club.’

Maresca left his role as Chelsea boss on New Year’s Day following a difficult run on the pitch and growing tensions off it.

Ex-Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior was confirmed as Maresca’s replacement on Tuesday, with the 41-year-old signing a six-year deal with the club.

Having watched Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to Fulham from the stands, Rosenior’s first game in charge will be Saturday’s FA Cup clash against Championship side Charlton Athletic.

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