Enzo Fernandez has been flirting, and not too subtly. Doesn’t know what will happen this summer with Chelsea. Can’t believe they ever split with Enzo Maresca. Would love to live in Madrid, always tell the wife that. Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, what legends they are.
There’s keeping it real, and then there’s keeping it Real. The main surprise is nobody on social media used April Fool’s Day to circulate fake quotes claiming he would like to name his next born after Florentino Perez.
Parking this mischief behind the microphone for a moment, there has been some criticism of Fernandez’s conduct around his Chelsea team-mates. How he is prone to publicly rebuking other players, as he did with Filip Jorgensen after his mistake in their 5-2 Champions League loss away at Paris Saint-Germain. How he is vocal in the changing room after losses, including their 3-0 Premier League defeat by Everton before this international break.
That’s no crime. Sometimes, leadership calls for such shows of strength. It shows the passion of the player, the will to win and the hatred he has for losing. The messages he has been sending into the sphere via the media, though? Therein lies a problem for Chelsea because now, Flirtin’ Fernandez must return to his club.
Now, he is supposed to be focused only on winning their FA Cup quarter-final versus Port Vale on Saturday to get to Wembley Stadium and the seven games left in the Premier League to qualify for the Champions League. Now, he is supposed to wear the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Reece James.
Fernandez is Chelsea’s vice-captain, but Liam Rosenior has a decision to make – either he allows the 25-year-old Argentinian to continue to don that armband, or he does not. It would send a message if he decided to go down the latter route, loud and clear.
Enzo Fernandez is Chelsea’s vice-captain, but Liam Rosenior has a decision to make – it would send a message if he decided to strip him of that role, loud and clear
Sometimes, leadership calls for such shows of strength, with Fernandez often angry after a defeat. It shows the passion of the player, the will to win and the hatred he has for losing
Maybe Rosenior will decide it is fine, but there has to be a consideration, as there will have been at Tottenham Hotspur when their captain and Argentina team-mate Cristian Romero was speaking up. Rosenior has already spoken privately with Fernandez once – two weeks ago after the midfielder cryptically said ‘we will see’ when asked if he will still be with Chelsea next season. Fernandez told Rosenior that words can get lost in translation. That same argument is unlikely to stand up now.
If Fernandez has grown disillusioned with what is happening at Chelsea, that’s fine, because we can all have our own opinion on their strategy. If he is itching for improved terms, that’s fine also, because he has seen others receive new deals as rewards since signing three years ago.
Whatever the motive, however, there are ways of letting this be known privately rather than publicly.
Chelsea showed a great deal of faith in Fernandez after Argentina’s 2024 Copa America triumph when he was filmed singing a controversial song, his club team-mate Wesley Fofana describing it as ‘uninhibited racism’ at the time. Fernandez apologised, and a month later, Maresca handed him the armband in a 2-0 Premier League loss to Manchester City, on the first day of their 2024-25 season and with Fofana in the same lineup.
Chelsea further protected their player after that controversial saga. Fernandez wasn’t put up for any of their pre-match press conferences in the Conference League that campaign, nor did we get to speak with him in the mixed zone after games, just in case we asked him about that chant.
That may add to the club’s feeling of frustration now, given what has happened during this international break. Chelsea were not involved in Fernandez’s interviews conducted while on duty with Argentina. Which is fine, usually, because the understanding is that those called up by their national teams will only answer questions to do with their countries, not their clubs.
That’s the general agreement, and it works both ways. He doesn’t speak about us while he’s with you, and we won’t speak about you while he’s with us. That line has been crossed here.
Chelsea insiders are disappointed. The relevant federation, in this case the Argentine FA, are supposed to recognise if the interview is the right one for their player, and outlets have used the opportunity to quiz Fernandez on Chelsea, Madrid and his future.
Rosenior has already spoken privately with Fernandez once – two weeks ago after the midfielder cryptically said ‘we will see’ when asked if he will still be with Chelsea next season
Chelsea insiders are disappointed after the faith that have put in a player they splashed a British-record £106.8m on in 2023
Fernandez is not the only one to have spoken up over this international break, of course, but others did it differently. Marc Cucurella criticised Chelsea’s strategy, but came across as respectful in doing so, as if he wanted the best for his club. Moises Caicedo, when asked on his future, said he is only focused on Chelsea and would like to become a legend at Stamford Bridge.
Fernandez is a fine footballer, and an important cog in Chelsea’s team. Rosenior cannot suddenly stop using him when he needs to win games and fast, including at home to League One bottom club Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday after a four-game losing streak in all competitions.
When Fernandez next scores, maybe he will kiss the badge, pat it, perform a love heart to the supporters, though it will be hard to read too much into such gestures if so. On January 10, 2023, he scored for Benfica in a 2-0 win over Varzim, and celebrated by pointing to his chest and then to the turf, as if to suggest he was staying.
Twenty-two days later he was signing for Chelsea in a British-record £106.8million move. Fernandez tried to force through that transfer, including by personally phoning Benfica president Rui Costa, who later accused the midfielder of showing no commitment to his employers.
Fernandez is something of a performative player. Particularly when Chelsea are losing, we have seen him start scraps, as if to show his passion to the frustrated fans. It might be time for Rosenior to do some performing of his own, namely by handing the armband to someone who has not spent the last weeks inviting speculation on his immediate future.
