'Been a crazy 24 hours': Chelsea's interim manager lifts the lid on 'whirlwind' Enzo Maresca exit
Calum McFarlane said he's had a “whirlwind” 24 hours at Chelsea since being elevated to interim manager and then tasked with facing Manchester City.
As the hunt begins to find a replacement for Enzo Maresca long-term, McFarlane led team training after his security pass was upgraded to access the first-team building.
He had previously coached the club's under-21s team prior to Maresca's exit.
READ MORE: Tsitsipas puts injury behind him in red-hot United Cup start
EXCLUSIVE: Two Kiwis defying tragic tales in pursuit of frightening goal
READ MORE: Annual photo highlights captaincy chaos after Neale decision
“It’s been a crazy 24 hours, a whirlwind as you can imagine, but it’s also been really enjoyable and exciting,” McFarlane said.
Calum McFarlane speaks to media. Chelsea FC via Getty Images
The club announced this week that Maresca left his position as manager, following a reported deterioration in his relationship with the team’s hierarchy.
Liam Rosenior, who coaches French team Strasbourg - a club in the same ownership group as Chelsea - has been reported to be a leading contender for the job.
But for now, McFarlane will lead the Blues at Etihad Stadium against a manager in Pep Guardiola who has surpassed the 1,000-game mark in charge.
“The energy and enthusiasm in training was exceptional today,” McFarlane said.
“They seem really focused, they’re really driven, hungry. They know we’ve got a massive game on Sunday, and were going to have to be at our best.”
Football's new home, Stan Sport, is the only place to watch the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, WSL, European World Cup qualifiers, J.League, NSWL and K League
Chelsea start the second half of the Premier League season in fifth place, three points behind Liverpool but also just three points ahead of 11th-place Fulham.
The game at City is the first of nine matches for Chelsea this month in all competitions.
Maresca was in charge for 18 months and won the Conference League and Club World Cup in his first season at Chelsea.
