"A line was crossed" - Liam Rosenior explains why he's sanctioned Chelsea star with two-game ban | OneFootball

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has explained his decision to drop Enzo Fernandez for the club’s next two games as he insists “a line was crossed” by the player.

Fernandez has been outspoken with his criticism of the Chelsea project since that brutal Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, who thrashed the Blues 8-2 on aggregate.

The Argentina international is not the only one to make some negative headlines, with Marc Cucurella also giving an interview that was critical of how Chelsea are being run.

Liam Rosenior on Enzo Fernandez

However, for now it’s just Fernandez who’s been hit with a sanction, as Rosenior explained in his press conference today…

“It’s disappointing for Enzo to speak that way,” Rosenior 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.

“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.”

How Enzo Fernandez landed himself in trouble at Chelsea

Fernandez has been a key player for Chelsea in the last few years, but it seems clear that Rosenior had to take action.

The former Benfica man had been too vocal about his frustrations with CFC, having told Mexican broadcaster TUDN, as quoted by the Metro, that he didn’t understand why previous manager Enzo Maresca was sacked.

“I don’t understand it either. Sometimes there are things that we as players don’t understand, how and in what way they try to manage things,” Fernandez said.

“Obviously, it was a departure that hurt us a lot because 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, and obviously his departure hurt us a lot, especially in the middle of the season, it cuts everything short.”