Enzo Fernandez Dropped By Chelsea After ‘Line Crossed’, To Miss FA Cup And Man City Clash

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has been dropped for the club’s next two matches after head coach Liam Rosenior said the Argentine “crossed a line” with public comments linking him to a move to Real Madrid. As a result, the Argentine will miss the FA Cup quarter-final against Port Vale and the English Premier League clash against Manchester City on April 12.

Following Chelsea’s heavy defeat in the UEFA Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain, where they lost 8-2 on aggregate, Fernandez admitted uncertainty over his long-term stay at Stamford Bridge.

“I don’t know. There are eight matches left and the FA Cup. There’s also the World Cup; after that, we’ll see,” he said. “I think it would be nice to live in Madrid.” The last line has sparked rumours of a move to Real Madrid, with Fernandez adding that the city reminded him of Buenos Aires.

These comments have been flagged by Rosenior as a reason for Fernandez’s exclusion from the Chelsea squad.

“It’s disappointing for Enzo to speak that way,” the head coach said. “I have got no bad words to say about him, but a line was crossed in terms of our culture and what we want to build. As a character, a person and a player, I have the utmost respect. He’s frustrated because he wants us to be successful.”

“In terms of the decision, it’s not all about me, or the sporting directors. The ownership, the players, we are aligned in our decision,” Rosenior added. “The door is not closed on Enzo. It's a sanction. You have to protect the culture, and in terms of that, a line was crossed.”

There were also unconfirmed reports that Fernandez berated his teammates during Chelsea’s poor run of results, which harmed the dressing room unity.

“It’s not ideal,” Rosenior said. “A lot of this stems from a difficult 10 days in terms of results we have had – probably the most difficult for me as a player or manager.”

Rosenior Criticises Cucurella

Fernandez wasn’t the only player singled out for criticism by Rosenior, with the Blues coach also addressing some comments made by left-back Marc Cucurella. The Spaniard publicly slammed the transfer policy of Chelsea, which, under BluesCo, has seen the club invest heavily in young prospects.

“We have a good core of players. The foundations are there,” Cucurella said after the PSG match. “But to fight for major trophies such as the Premier League or the Champions League, you need more. Signing young players might only complicate achieving those goals.”

The former Brighton player also hinted at a potential future away from Chelsea, with rumours of a move back to Barcelona. However, he later clarified he was “happy” and would prefer to wait a “few years” at his current club.

Rosenior said that he held a half-hour discussion with Cucurella, confirming he remains ‘fully committed’ to Chelsea.

“The players were motivated that we could do something really special in the Champions League. The comments from Enzo and Marc Cucurella’s interview both stem from that. It actually stems from a good place where they want the club to succeed,” Rosenior said. “But in those moments, we need more emotional stability as a group of players.”

Chelsea will take on Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-final at Stamford Bridge on April 4 at 9:45 PM IST.