If Enzo Maresca was searching for a quiet begin to life at Chelsea, issues couldn’t have gone a lot worse.
The Blues landed Stateside on Tuesday for his or her two-week pre-season tour of the US, and he already has a number of points to take care of.
Stability has hardly ever been a phrase related to Chelsea, who’ve switched managers and gamers with out hesitation over the previous 20 years, and Maresca has overseen an all-too acquainted chaotic week at Stamford Bridge.
The preliminary indicators had been optimistic, with gamers not concerned at Euro 2024 or the Copa America returning to coaching earlier this month and shortly taking a liking for Maresca’s strategies.
These first few days had been bliss for the Italian boss. Then all of it went badly mistaken.
Enzo Maresca has endured a troublesome begin to life at Chelsea forward of their first pre-season match
Fernandez filmed himself singing a ‘racist’ chant on Argentina’s bus throughout their Copa America celebrations
Wesley Fofana reposted the video by way of X alongside the phrases: ‘Soccer in 2024: uninhibited racism’
Malo Gusto (left) and Axel Disasi (proper) joined Fofana in unfollowing Fernandez on Instagram
Following Argentina’s Copa America triumph, they partied on the staff bus and proceeded to sing an offensive track geared toward France’s black gamers.
The track – which was filmed by Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez – has been branded ‘racist’ by the French Soccer Federation who swiftly launched a criticism, and it didn’t go down nicely again in west London both.
Fernandez’s team-mate Wesley Fofana labelled the mantra ‘uninhibited racism’ and unfollowed the £107m star on Instagram. Two different Chelsea gamers, Malo Gusto and Axel Disasi, adopted go well with.
Chelsea striker David Datro Fofana referred to as on soccer to ‘take the struggle towards racism critically’, however Fernandez did obtain help from Nicolas Jackson because the ahead posted a weird video of Fernandez taking part in with a black baby.
Jackson’s stance indicators a break up within the dressing room, which Maresca might want to restore shortly.
Chelsea responded by issuing a press release condemning ‘all types of discriminatory behaviour’ whereas Fernandez has since apologised for his actions and insisted he isn’t racist.
Chelsea striker David Datro Fofana referred to as for the struggle towards racism to be taken ‘critically’
However Fernandez has been defended by Nicolas Jackson, signalling a break up within the dressing room
Nevertheless, this might not be sufficient to get his team-mates again on facet, and he was thrust again into the highlight when he was paraded at his former membership River Plate, just for the entire stadium to begin singing the offensive chant once more.
Fernandez is more likely to be fined by Chelsea and could possibly be handed a ban of as much as 12 matches if the FA resolve to analyze and punish him for his behaviour.
Within the meantime, Maresca will undoubtedly face some awkward questions on Fernandez, and it is going to be troublesome for him to persuade followers and the media that his gamers are all signing from the identical hymn sheet.
Maresca’s trigger to create a harmonious ambiance on the membership has additionally not been helped by the choice to depart academy graduate Trevoh Chalobah again within the UK.
Chalobah has been at Chelsea since he was 9 years outdated and is a well-liked member of the squad who completed final season strongly.
However he has now been deemed surplus to necessities and appears set to depart Stamford Bridge this summer season.
Chelsea have splashed the money over the past two years bringing in gamers for profitable charges, nevertheless it has come at the price of dropping homegrown expertise reminiscent of Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Trevoh Chalobah has been left at residence and appears set to depart Chelsea this summer season
Chalobah completed final season strongly however has nonetheless been deemed surplus to necessities
Chalobah seems set to be the following title so as to add to that record, and with every participant that his proven the exit door, followers could also be beginning to really feel extra disconnected from the membership.
Maresca evidently has sufficient issues off the pitch, however consideration will quickly flip to how his staff carry out on it.
Chelsea completed sixth within the Premier League final season, however flattered to deceive for lengthy intervals of the marketing campaign, and this led to Mauricio Pochettino parting methods with the membership on the finish of the marketing campaign.
Maresca will need to show that he has made an prompt influence, however Chelsea’s schedule within the US is much from easy.
They’re as a consequence of play 5 matches in 5 totally different cities over the following fortnight, racking up 13,000 air miles from London as they go.
All of it begins within the early hours of Thursday morning (UK time) after they face Wrexham in California.
They’ll then head on to Notre Dame, Indiana, to tackle Celtic, adopted by a visit to Atlanta the place they’ll meet Membership America.
The tour concludes with matches towards Manchester Metropolis in Colombus, Ohio, and Actual Madrid in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Chelsea are set to play 5 matches in 5 cities over the following two weeks within the US
Maresca’s staff face a brutal schedule and he should repair the issues on the membership earlier than the season begins
By the tip of the brutal journey, Maresca ought to have a good suggestion of how his staff is shaping up forward of their opening Premier League conflict with Metropolis on August 18.
However being Chelsea supervisor is a lot extra than simply what occurs on the pitch, and Maresca has shortly discovered that out.
Can he unite the dressing room amid the racism storm surrounding Fernandez? Will any extra homegrown gamers be proven the exit door?
These are the challenges Marecsa should overcome if he’s to get Chelsea again on observe after a tumultuous begin to pre-season.
