Gary Lineker defends Chelsea star and disagrees with ‘odd’ Liam Rosenior decision

Gary Lineker has defended Enzo Fernandez after he fuelled speculation he wanted to leave Chelsea and suggested he was keen on joining Real Madrid.

Fernandez, who has regularly captained the Blues, first cast doubt over his future at Stamford Bridge following Chelsea’s Champions League defeat to PSG.

Asked if he could guarantee that he will be a Chelsea player next season, Fernandez told ESPN: ‘I don’t know, I don’t know.

‘There are eight games left and the FA Cup.

There’s the World Cup and then we’ll see.’
Fernandez made a similar comment when directly asked about speculation linking him with Real Madrid later in the month.

In another not-so-subtle transfer hint, the Argentine World Cup winner recently said he would ‘like’ to live in Madrid one day.

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior said Fernandez had ‘crossed a line’ with his comments and opted to drop the midfielder for two games.

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Fernandez therefore watched on from the stands as Chelsea thrashed Port Vale 7-0 in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Saturday and will also sit out of Sunday’s Premier League clash against Manchester City.

‘It’s disappointing for Enzo to speak that way,’ said Rosenior, who took over from Enzo Maresca at Chelsea in January.

‘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.’
Rosenior attempted to play down the noise around Fernandez after the FA Cup win over Port Vale, insisting he is in a ‘very good place’ with the former Benfica midfielder.

But Lineker believes it was a mistake for Rosenior to drop Fernandez in the first place, describing that decision as a ‘little bit odd’.

The England legend also defended Fernandez, claiming he understood his comments about Real Madrid and insisting he ‘didn’t say anything particularly bad or detrimental to Chelsea’.

‘I thought that was slightly odd [Rosenior dropping Fernandez],’ Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast.

‘I don’t think he said anything particularly bad or detrimental to Chelsea.

‘He basically just said he would like to live in Madrid.

[Marc] Cucurella said something similar [about Barcelona] and didn’t get punished at all.

‘Who wouldn’t play for Real Madrid?!

I don’t understand the ban.

Fine him if you want to punish him and keep it in-house but I don’t see how a ban helps you.

‘It obviously didn’t make any difference against Port Vale but I just thought it was a little bit odd.’
Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer also questioned Rosenior’s reaction and said he has created a ‘problem’ for himself going forward.

‘I guess he’s trying to make a statement to the dressing room but there are different ways of going about it,’ Shearer said.

‘The only problem with disciplining them like this is when another player steps out of line, you have to do something similar when it comes up next, that’s the only problem.’
Micah Richards, meanwhile, defended the way Rosenior handled the situation and said he was important for him to act.

‘I think he had to do it,’ Richards said.

‘With all the pressure Liam Rosenior has been under recently, the players coming out and speaking like that makes you look weak if you don’t respond.

‘I would have left him out of the next game which was Port Vale – but I wouldn’t have done two games.

That way it looks like he’s punished him but he’s still back for that Man City game.

‘You’re going to need him against them because he’s one of your best players.

But I do think Rosenior had to say something.’
Chelsea were drawn to face rivals Leeds United in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

Manchester City take on Southampton in the other tie at Wembley.

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