ENZO FERNANDEZ has torn into Chelsea’s executives for sanctioning the removal of ex-boss Enzo Maresca in January.
After Chelsea were humiliated 8-2 on aggregate by Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League last-16 tie, the £106.8m midfielder revealed his team-mates were ‘hurt a lot’ by the harsh decision.
In a post-match interview with Mexican broadcaster TUDN, Fernandez said: “I don’t understand it. Sometimes there are things that we as players don’t understand, how and in what way they try to manage things.
“Obviously, it was a departure that hurt us a lot … especially in the middle of the season, it cuts everything short.
“We had an identity. He gave us an order, even though, as is the way of football, sometimes it’s good and bad.
“But he always had a very clear identity when it came to training and playing.”
Maresca won the Conference League and Club World Cup in his first season in charge, but his relationship with the club hierarchy quickly turned sour when he publicly criticised them last December.
Following a Champions League defeat to Atalanta, Maresca lambasted senior executives for a lack of support, claiming it was the “worst 48 hours” he had experienced.
He later added: “We are in an era where everyone can say what they want.”
Weeks later, the Italian manager was sacked and replaced by then-Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior, who is also under pressure after a string of poor results.
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Under Rosenior, whose coaching resume merely comprises a seventh-placed finish with Hull City in the Championship and an interim stint with Derby County, Chelsea are in danger of missing out on Champions League qualification for the third time in four seasons.
With the club in disarray, Fernandez has thrown his future into doubt by refusing to rule out a summer move.
The Argentina international, 25, has six years left on his deal but is a target for PSG and Real Madrid.
He told ESPN: “I don’t know, there are eight games left and the FA Cup. There’s the World Cup and then we’ll see.”
Fernandez was the first marquee player signed by the BlueCo ownership who has performed to standards, despite his £105m price tag.
He has been one of the team’s players of the season, leading most of Chelsea’s attacking metrics alongside Joao Pedro.
Prior to Chelsea’s league fixture at Everton, Rosenior has played down rumours of Fernandez wanting out of West London.
He said: “I had a great conversation with Enzo at length this morning before training, not just about his comments but how he is feeling, how as a team we can improve.
“He is one of the captains at the club and what I will say is that he made it really clear how happy he is here at this club, how much he wants to win and how passionate he is for us to be successful.
“He also said that in translation and in emotion, things get misconstrued. For me, he is fully committed to this group and to winning here at this football club.”
