Enzo Fernandez axed from Chelsea squad as Blues punish star for teasing transfer exit | Football | Sport
Enzo Fernandez will sit out Chelsea’s next two matches after comments made about a potential Real Madrid tranfser, Liam Rosenior has confirmed. The Blues face Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-final this weekend, while title-chasing Manchester City make the visit to Stamford Bridge next week.
Fernandez will miss both of the matches, with Rosenior pulling no punches following the Argentine’s comments. The ex-Benfica ace issued a coy response when asked about leaving Chelsea following the club’s Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain, saying: “I don’t know. There are eight games left and the FA Cup. There’s the World Cup and then we’ll see.”
Meanwhile, during the recent international break, Fernandez claimed he’d be open to living in the Spanish capital, following increased links with Real Madrid. He remarked: “I really like Madrid – it’s similar to Buenos Aires.”
It’s proved one comment too many for the 25-year-old, with Rosenior revealing Fernandez has been punished for his outbursts ahead of this weekend’s outing. The former Strasbourg coach said: “I spoke with Enzo an hour ago. As a football club, with me as part of the decision, he won’t be available for tomorrow’s game or Manchester City next Sunday. A line was crossed in terms of our culture and what we want to build.”
It’s a bold call from Rosenior, not least because Fernandez wasn’t the only Chelsea player to raise eyebrows with their comments during the international break. Marc Cucrella hinted that the Chelsea hierarchy were wrong to let Enzo Maresca leave, while casting doubt on the direction the club is trending in.
Fernandez’s actions have drawn plenty of criticism from the wider football world, with ex-Chelsea ace Jon Obi Mikel essentially telling him to ‘shut up or leave’. Speaking on his show, The Obi One Podcast, the Nigerian said: “For him to come out and make such a statement after we’ve been disgracefully dumped out of the Champions League, and you come out after wearing the captain’s armband… no player is bigger than the football club.
“If he’s had enough, put your hands up, f*** off and we move on. We move on. No player is bigger than the football club, especially a club as huge as Chelsea. You cannot come out and say that, it doesn’t matter what is going on.
“It doesn’t matter what is happening, you’re being paid handsomely to be at this football club, you should be grateful that you’re playing for a club like Chelsea. When you come out and make that statement, that is very, very disrespectful to the football club and to the fans.”
