“Boundary crossed”
Top English club suspends world champions
April 3, 2026 – 2:08 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
There are rumblings at Premier League club Chelsea FC. Because his captain publicly expressed his desire to change, the new coach takes action.
Chelsea FC has suspended its captain Enzo Fernández. The Argentine midfielder had publicly indicated in an interview that he wanted to leave the club – and mentioned Real Madrid as his desired destination.
Team manager Liam Rosenior announced the suspension on Good Friday. Fernández will therefore miss the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday against third division side Port Vale and the Premier League game against Manchester City on April 12th.
Rosenior said: “It’s disappointing that Enzo speaks like that. I have nothing bad to say about him, but a line has been crossed in terms of our culture and what we want to build.” And further: “The door is not closed for Enzo. It is a sanction. You have to protect the culture, and in this regard a line was crossed during the international break.”
The trigger was an interview in the Argentine media. Fernández left his future at Stamford Bridge open after the Champions League round of 16 exit against Paris Saint-Germain. A few days later, the 25-year-old emphasized that he would like to live in Madrid if he left London – the city reminded him of Buenos Aires.
Chelsea signed the midfielder from Benfica Lisbon in January 2023 for around 121 million euros. During Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar, Fernández was voted the best young player of the tournament.
Rosenior also reported on a clarifying conversation with the Spanish national player Marc Cucurella. He had publicly criticized the club’s strategy. Rosenior explained the background: “The players were motivated that we could achieve something very special in the Champions League,” he said. Fernández and Cucurella’s comments had their origins in the “desire for the club to be successful.” However, the club now needs “more emotional stability”.
