Chelsea’s Precarious Project Further Rocked By Cucurella And Fernández Comments | Jacob Steinberg

Trust nan process. Ignore nan haters. Promise that nan trophies will come. Stay connected brand. Disappear connected world work and rumor a brazen come-and-get-me plea to Real Madrid. Suggest a move to Barcelona would beryllium difficult to reject. Don’t soundlessness nan noise. Increase nan noise. Question nan club’s transportation policy. Say you miss nan erstwhile manager. Say Madrid is your favourite European city. Say it much than once. Hang on. Have we gone off-message here?

These person been a turbulent fewer weeks for Chelsea. Humbled successful Europe by Paris Saint-Germain, and successful threat of allowing their Premier League run to spiral retired of control, they could person done without 2 of their biggest players creating a PR large wind during nan world break. Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernández did not get nan memo, though. Fernández is intelligibly aft a summertime move – “I really for illustration Madrid, it’s akin to Buenos Aires,” nan Argentina midfielder said this week. Meanwhile Cucurella did not clasp backmost during a caller question and reply pinch nan Athletic, saying Chelsea person “paid nan price” for their inexperience, questioning Enzo Maresca’s mid-season departure and saying nan dense conclusion by PSG successful nan past 16 of nan Champions League has near players “discouraged”.

The optics could hardly beryllium worse. Cucurella and Fernández are leaders successful nan dressing room. Their comments person resonated pinch galore supporters and, almost 4 years into nan BlueCo era, person raised troubling questions astir whether nan Chelsea exemplary tin bring sustained occurrence astatine nan highest level.

The interest has ever been really nan task rebels against established shot norms, peculiarly pinch nan attraction connected signing young players. It was a constituent debated pinch Liam Rosenior erstwhile he was introduced arsenic Maresca’s replacement arsenic caput coach successful January. Rosenior pointed to nan Class of 92 astatine Manchester United, who defied Alan Hansen’s “you can’t triumph thing pinch kids” jibe by claiming nan double successful 1995-96. The riposte, though, was that United’s emerging stars came into a squad that had Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Peter Schmeichel, Denis Irwin and Steve Bruce. United had wise aged heads tin of guiding nan youngsters done difficult moments. Do Chelsea?

Recent grounds suggests not. Even if Fernández’s complaints person merit, going connected nan violative successful nationalist hardly feels due from a subordinate who wears nan captain’s armband erstwhile Reece James is out. Fernández is talking a bully crippled but what benignant of activity was he displaying erstwhile he publically berated Filip Jörgensen aft the goalkeeper’s correction against PSG?

This is not really a squad pinch a beardown civilization behaves. As Chelsea bespeak aft defeats by Everton, Newcastle and PSG, these outbursts person them wondering astir nan mentality of immoderate players. However, Fernández’s vexation hints astatine impatience. Chelsea person looked for a rising caput coach and trusted that an inexperienced squad will turn together. The imaginable flaw is that nan Argentinian’s rebellious comments show nan champion players will not want to hold for others to realise their potential.

Chelsea tin constituent to Fernández’s woody moving until 2032. They person protected their finances by lowering nan costs measure and handing retired heavy incentivised agelong contracts. Again, though, nan threat is nan task runs up against quality envy. A starring subordinate astatine Chelsea will still beryllium 1 of nan champion remunerated successful nan convention erstwhile incentives are met. Yet players astatine different clubs will person a higher guaranteed income. Players gossip. They mightiness perceive really overmuch an world workfellow is making astatine a rival. Fernández is said to want an improved deal. There is nary clip unit connected Chelsea to springiness him one, but that will not needfully extremity nan subordinate from agitating.

Liam Rosenior signed a six-and-a-half-year woody astatine Chelsea but results person been mixed. Photograph: Robin Jones/Getty Images

There person been precocious points; moments erstwhile nan pieces person seemed to beryllium falling into place. Chelsea smashed PSG in nan Club World Cup final past summer. Maresca was gone by New Year’s Day, though. The fallout pinch nan level was swift. Chelsea sources opportunity location was nary sacking. They felt that Maresca, who had held talks pinch figures associated pinch Manchester City complete replacing Pep Guardiola, successful effect engineered his exit.

However, nan Italian held sway pinch influential members of nan dressing room. “It was a departure that wounded america a mislaid because we had identity,” Fernández said. Pedro Neto admitted: “I was a small spot surprised.” Cucurella said: “It had a large effect connected us.”

Of course, it must beryllium stressed that Cucurella besides backed Rosenior. The erstwhile Strasbourg head has floundered successful caller weeks but Chelsea gave him a six-and-a-half-year deal. They person to guidelines by their man.

Chelsea are not panicking. They tin still suffice for nan Champions League and are astatine location to Port Vale successful nan FA Cup quarter-finals. There are suggestions of a displacement successful recruitment this summer; that portion of nan attraction connected younker stemmed from a desire to reset aft money wasted connected older players. Sources insist location is nary definitive argumentation astir signing only earthy talent. João Pedro was an established Premier League subordinate erstwhile he joined from Brighton past summer. Chelsea besides considered a apical world defender successful January.

Why has James signed a caller deal? The skipper must person been impressed erstwhile he discussed summertime targets pinch nan hierarchy. Cole Palmer, regarded arsenic untouchable contempt changeless links pinch Manchester United, has had reassurances from nan board. Moisés Caicedo has pledged his early to Chelsea and Cucurella’s statement was extended past summer.

That does not mean each is well. Chelsea are unimpressed pinch Fernández and immoderate judge it would not beryllium a disaster if he goes. It would person to beryllium a large interest – and Spanish sources opportunity Madrid are not astir to salary £100m – but it is difficult to spot really Chelsea use from keeping personification nary longer aligned pinch their vision.

This is different immense summer. Chelsea person conscionable posted a pre-tax nonaccomplishment of £262.4m for nan 2024-25 play and a spot successful nan apical 5 is connected nan line. Missing retired connected nan Champions League would make much players mobility wherever this is heading. Chelsea person to reconstruct nan faith.