Chelsea vice-captain Enzo Fernandez's agent, Javier Pastore, has hit out at the Premier League clash after the Argentine was sanctioned. He believes that the punishment is unfair, and the midfielder is puzzled by the decision.
Speaking to The Athletic soon after Liam Rosenior announced that Fernandez was suspended for two games for his recent comments, Pastore said that the decision is questionable as the Blues are fighting to earn a spot in the UEFA Champions League next season. He said:
"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."
Pastore added that Fernandez does not understand why he is being punished, as he did not comment about leaving the club. He added that the comments about Madrid were not related to his plans to leave Stamford Bridge and said:
"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."
Enzo Fernandez has a contract at Stamford Bridge until 2032, but has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.
No agreement over new deal at Chelsea, says Enzo Fernandez's agent
Javier Pastore confirmed to The Athletic that they have been in talks over a new deal at Stamford Bridge. He said that they have been discussing it for the last few months, but have not reached an agreement.
"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."
Chelsea signed Enzo Fernandez in 2021 for a reported £107 million from Benfica.