Enzo Fernandez’s agent has called Liam Rosenior’s decision to drop the Chelsea midfielder “completely unfair” and says his comments during the international break were not intended to disrespect the club.
Fernandez’s agent, Javier Pastore, told The Athletic talks had been held with Chelsea over renewing his client’s contract, which runs until 2032, but an agreement was yet to be reached. If the parties are unable to agree on terms after the World Cup, Pastore said the Argentina international intends to explore other options.
Rosenior announced during a press conference on Friday that Fernandez would not be made available for Chelsea’s next two matches against Port Vale in the FA Cup and Manchester City in the Premier League due to the comments he made during the international break.
The 25-year-old had cast doubt over his Chelsea future following the defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on March 17, but captained the side four days later in the loss to Everton. Speaking to broadcaster Luzu TV during the international break, Fernandez was asked which European city he would like to live in, and he replied: “I always tell my wife if you tell me to choose a city in Europe to live in, I really like Madrid because it’s very similar to Buenos Aires — the life, everything …”
Rosenior said Fernandez had “crossed the line”. Pastore said the comments were not about the midfielder’s Chelsea future, simply him answering an interview question.
Chelsea have been contacted by The Athletic for comment.
The Athletic: How is Enzo feeling after the two-match ban?
Pastore: Enzo didn’t understand the situation. When the coach told him, he accepted it because he’s a highly professional guy who’s always fully committed wherever he is and respects decisions, but we don’t understand the punishment because he doesn’t mention any club or say he wants to leave Chelsea, far from it; he only mentions Madrid, the city, because he was asked which European city he’d like to live in one day, and he said Madrid because of the language, because it’s similar to Buenos Aires and because it’s logical — it’s only natural for an Argentine to say that — and also because of the culture, the weather … but at no point does he say he wants to leave Chelsea or London.
The Athletic: How did the ban happen?
Pastore: I received a message from the club on Thursday, while Enzo was travelling back to London; they told me they wanted to speak to me about the comments and sent me the link to Enzo’s words. I replied that it was no problem, that I’d seen the comments too, I’d watched the interview he gave, and at no point did he show a lack of respect towards the club, his team-mates, the fans or anyone else.
I’ll say it again: he didn’t say he wants to leave or that he’d rather live in Madrid than London. He’s not disrespecting anyone. When they sent me the message, I replied, and they didn’t reply back; it seems that by then they’d already decided to sanction him today upon his arrival at the club.
Fernandez will miss Chelsea’s next two matches (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
The Athletic: Do you think it’s fair?
Pastore: The punishment is completely unfair — banning the player for two matches, which moreover are also absolutely crucial for Chelsea because qualification for the Champions League is at stake and he is one of the team’s most important players. Alongside others, of course, but he has proven himself this year to be a leader and a key player, the backbone of this Chelsea side. I think it’s far too harsh given Chelsea’s current situation, and there’s no real reason or justification for why he has been banned.
The Athletic: Do you understand why there is frustration at Chelsea over the comments?
Pastore: I understand Chelsea’s position, and that of the club’s directors, following the reaction to what he said, but the fact is that he never mentioned any club or said he wanted to leave. What was reported in the media is the responsibility of each media outlet or journalist who drew their own conclusions. I understand the club’s situation, but I don’t understand the sanction.
The Athletic: Have there been negotiations regarding a contract renewal?
Pastore: There have been talks about renewing his contract, yes. We started discussing it around December or January, but we couldn’t reach an agreement. As Enzo’s contract still has six years to run, we decided not to renew it because the terms weren’t right for us or for the player; given what Enzo is capable of today, he deserves much more than he’s currently earning.
We haven’t reached an agreement and it may be that this annoyed the club, given that he is a hugely important player, but these are things that have to be managed. I look at the sporting and financial aspects of the player’s situation, and I didn’t see that renewal coming to fruition because they weren’t very realistic about Enzo’s current situation.
We felt that rather than renewing on terms that wouldn’t make the player happy, it was better to leave things as they are and focus on playing and performing well, as they have important objectives until May: qualifying for the Champions League. We decided to put that out of our minds and focus 100 per cent on the crucial fixtures with Chelsea and also the World Cup with Argentina, which will demand a great amount of concentration. We don’t want to get into discussions about figures, contracts and negotiations when the timing wasn’t right.
Our plan after the World Cup is to meet with Chelsea again and, if there is no agreement, to explore other options.
The Athletic: Does Enzo want to stay at Chelsea?
Pastore: He’s the backbone and leader of the team; it’s only natural that, from a sporting perspective, he’s happy to be at Chelsea. He won major trophies last year and earned the respect of the entire Premier League and all the fans, and when a player is performing like that on the pitch, of course he’s happy where he is.
Then there are other factors that influence decisions, whether it’s salary, respect, or the way things are handled … there are so many things that we aren’t seeing at the moment — or at least I, as an agent, am not seeing — that suggest the club is not handling things in the best possible way with him.
This two-match ban, which makes no sense from my perspective, suggests that the club is trying to make a point or send a message; I suppose we’ll understand the reasons better in time. But to do this to the vice-captain — or captain when James isn’t there — to sanction him for two matches for something I see no reason or explanation for, is undoubtedly a sign of certain moves the club will surely let us know about as soon as possible.
The Athletic: Does Enzo fear any reproach from fans or team-mates?
Pastore: No, in the dressing room he always says things clearly to his team-mates, he is a leader.
And Enzo wants to apologise if any fan has felt offended, but also stressing that he has never spoken of another club or that he wants to leave Chelsea or London, as this was an interpretation that the media made as a result of his words.