Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca expressed his sympathy for Ange Postecoglou, who was dismissed just moments after Nottingham Forest’s 3-0 loss to Chelsea at the City Ground.
Postecoglou’s tenure lasted only 39 days, during which he was unable to secure a single win in eight matches.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis departed his seat during the second half with Forest trailing 2-0, and just 19 minutes post-match, Postecoglou’s sacking was officially announced.
After a promising first half for Forest, the game shifted dramatically when Josh Acheampong scored his first senior goal just six minutes into the second half, followed by Pedro Neto converting a free-kick, leaving Forest further behind.
The visitors made matters worse for Postecoglou when Reece James scored from a corner, marking Forest’s fourth consecutive defeat across competitions and concluding the 60-year-old’s short stint as manager.
Maresca voiced his condolences for Postecoglou during the post-match press conference.
“I didn’t speak to Ange; I didn’t see him, but I do feel very sorry for him,” Maresca remarked.
“We often say this is a business where if you fail to win, the consequences are the same for everyone. So, I feel for him.”
Malo Gusto received a red card after fouling Neco Williams, resulting in him being shown a second yellow card, which marks Chelsea’s fourth red card of the season.
Despite this, Maresca is not overly concerned about his team’s discipline.
“We can improve regarding the red cards; that was a mistake, especially being up 3-0 with one yellow card already,” he stated.
“At the same time, I appreciate the determination to maintain a clean sheet. Malo’s second yellow could have been avoided, but it reflected their desire not to concede.”
“It’s an area for improvement, but I’m not worried. Some may question my lack of concern, but for me, the players’ commitment is crucial.”
Maresca was serving a one-match touchline ban due to being dismissed for running down the touchline to celebrate a match-winning goal against Liverpool.
The 45-year-old expressed a preference for being in the dugout but praised his team’s response after halftime.
“It’s a very frustrating feeling to be out of the dugout; I would rather be there,” he admitted.
“At halftime, I told the team we performed well off the ball but were lacking on it. We need to minimize our mistakes; our buildup was subpar.”