Chelsea Facing ‘Dressing Room Divide’ Over Enzo Fernandez Comments

One Blues legend offered an explicit warning to Fernández over his flirting with Real Madrid.

Enzo Fernández has unsettled Chelsea this break. | Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández has angered a number of teammates with his public flirting with Real Madrid, a report has claimed.

The Telegraph state Fernández’s recent, and repeated, comments about the La Liga giants have angered a dressing room already unhappy with the Argentinian’s leadership as vice-captain. Verbal spats, both private and public, have not been appreciated at a time in which everyone at Chelsea is under immense pressure.

With talks over an improved contract making very little progress, Fernández’s situation appears to have escalated into an issue which has impacted a number of players in the squad.

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What Has Enzo Fernández Said About Real Madrid?

Fernández has taken plenty of opportunities to flirt with Real Madrid. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Real Madrid have been speculatively linked with Fernández for a while now, with little concrete substance behind those claims, but things began to ramp up in mid-March when a report from Argentina claimed the midfielder was open to leaving Chelsea.

In the aftermath of Chelsea’s humiliating Champions League elimination, Fernández publicly refused to rule out an exit with the delightfully cryptic response of “we’ll see.” He pledged his commitment to Chelsea just a few days later after a negative reaction from fans, but soon started flirting with Madrid.

While simultaneously questioning the decision to part ways with manager Enzo Maresca in January, Fernández has twice spoken about his desire to live in the city of Madrid during the international break, albeit never mentioning the club directly.

During an interview with LUZU TV in his native Argentina, Fernández then name-dropped both Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos as inspirations. There is obviously nothing wrong with idolizing two of the greatest creative midfielders of their generation, but many have questioned the timing of his comments.

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Why Are Chelsea Players Annoyed?

Fernández’s on-field antics have not gone down well. | Robin Jones/Getty Images

The sight of a player as significant as Fernández intentionally casting doubt over his own future has, unsurprisingly, not gone down well inside the dressing room, but the report suggests that is just the start.

Fernández is said to have become increasingly vocal during Chelsea’s recent run of defeats, publicly berating teammates on the pitch, nor hiding his feelings after defeats once the cameras go off.

Goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen was on the receiving end of a memorable outburst from Fernández after making a mistake against Paris Saint-Germain, with that sort of conduct not appreciated by a squad of players trying to reduce the pressure on their shoulders during a crucial part of the season.

Fernández is clearly a passionate character who rarely shies away from showcasing his feelings on the pitch.

Former teammates, including Mason Mount and Noni Madueke, have both been targeted by on-field taunts and hot-headed moments from Chelsea’s vice-captain, but those growing frustrated have been quick to point out that the those players did far less to unsettle the club than Fernández has with his recent comments about Madrid.

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Mikel John Obi Blasts ‘Disrespectful’ Fernández in Explicit Rant

The former Blues favorite made his feelings known. | Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

Mikel John Obi was a quieter presence during his 11 years at Chelsea between 2006 and 2017. Since the start of his Obi One Podcast, however, he has taken the opportunity to speak up about his former employer on a number of occasions.

Fernández’s comments were a topic on his latest offering and Mikel, who made 372 appearances for Chelsea during his time at Stamford Bridge, did not hold back.

“That’s not a leader,” he fumed. “That’s something where if you have leaders, if you have leaders that players respect and look up to, you wouldn’t come out and make those statements because you’d be thinking, ‘How is this going to go down in the dressing room? How is this going to go down with the top players, the big players, when they see this?’

“You were the captain in that game and you come out and make those statements ... how would that go down well with the senior players in the dressing room?

“He’s looked at it and he’s thinking, ‘Who the f--- is going to hold me responsible in that dressing room?’ No one! The leadership is not there.

“So he thinks, ‘I can come out, say whatever the f--- I want, no one is going to hold me responsible,’ and that’s exactly what happened.

“For him to come out and make such a statement after we’ve been disgracefully dumped out of the Champions League, and you come out after wearing the captain’s armband ... no player is bigger than the football club.

“If he’s had enough, put your hands up, f--- off and we move on. We move on. No player is bigger than the football club, especially a club as huge as Chelsea.

“You cannot come out and say that. It doesn’t matter what is going on. It doesn’t matter what is happening, you’re being paid handsomely to be at this football club, you should be grateful that you’re playing for a club like Chelsea.

“When you come out and make that statement, that is very, very disrespectful to the football club and to the fans.”

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