Enzo Fernandez has been flirting, and not too subtly. Doesn’t know what will happen this summer with Chelsea. Can’t believe they ever split with Enzo Maresca. Would love to live in Madrid, always tell the wife that. Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, what legends they are.
There’s keeping it real, and then there’s keeping it Real. The main surprise is nobody on social media used April Fool’s Day to circulate fake quotes claiming he would like to name his next born after Florentino Perez.
Parking this mischief behind the microphone for a moment, there has been some criticism of Fernandez’s conduct around his Chelsea team-mates. How he is prone to publicly rebuking other players, as he did with Filip Jorgensen after his mistake in their 5-2 Champions League loss away at Paris Saint-Germain. How he is vocal in the changing room after losses, including their 3-0 Premier League defeat by Everton before this international break.
That’s no crime. Sometimes, leadership calls for such shows of strength. It shows the passion of the player, the will to win and the hatred he has for losing. The messages he has been sending into the sphere via the media, though? Therein lies a problem for Chelsea because now, Flirtin’ Fernandez must return to his club.
Now, he is supposed to be focused only on winning their FA Cup quarter-final versus Port Vale on Saturday to get to Wembley Stadium and the seven games left in the Premier League to qualify for the Champions League. Now, he is supposed to wear the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Reece James.
Fernandez is Chelsea’s vice-captain, but Liam Rosenior has a decision to make – either he allows the 25-year-old Argentinian to continue to don that armband, or he does not. It would send a message if he decided to go down the latter route, loud and clear.
Enzo Fernandez is Chelsea’s vice-captain, but Liam Rosenior has a decision to make – it would send a message if he decided to strip him of that role, loud and clear
Sometimes, leadership calls for such shows of strength, with Fernandez often angry after a defeat. It shows the passion of the player, the will to win and the hatred he has for losing
Maybe Rosenior will decide it is fine, but there has to be a consideration, as there will have been at Tottenham Hotspur when their captain and Argentina team-mate Cristian Romero was speaking up. Rosenior has already spoken privately with Fernandez once – two weeks ago after the midfielder…