Enzo Maresca Launches Stunning Liam Delap Criticism After Wolves Red Card

Chelsea’s summer signing saw his return from a lengthy absence end in disaster.

Liam Delap left an unwanted impression upon his return from injury. / Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca did not hold back in his assessment of Liam Delap’s red card against Wolverhampton Wanderers, accusing the Blues’ summer signing of making a “stupid and embarrassing” decision.

Brought off the bench for his first appearance since suffering a nasty hamstring injury on Aug. 30, Delap’s return lasted just 25 minutes as he picked up two thoroughly avoidable yellow cards in Wednesday’s nervy 4–3 win.

In the 79th minute, Delap was booked for twice pushing Yerson Mosquera to the ground and, just seven minutes later, was trudging down the tunnel after leading with his elbow in a challenge with Emmanuel Agbadou which could have easily yielded a straight red.

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Chelsea have now been shown five red cards across all competitions this season, sparking accusations of a disciplinary issue in Maresca’s squad. While the boss has consistently denied such claims, he made no attempts to hide his frustration towards Delap’s dismissal.

“We had a very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary and was absolutely deserved,” Maresca began. “We can avoid red cards like these and we have to avoid them.

“When it’s a red card like today, it’s embarrassing. There were two yellow cards in seven minutes, both avoidable. It’s no good. After the yellow card, I told [Delap] four or five times to keep calm.

“But Liam is a player that when he’s inside the pitch probably he’ll be playing the game for himself and he struggles to realise and to listen around him.”

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Maresca Warns Chelsea Over Ill-Discipline

Enzo Maresca (right) was unimpressed. / Darren Staples/AFP/Getty Images

Delap becomes the third Chelsea player to be sent off for two yellow cards this season, joining Malo Gusto and João Pedro, while both Robert Sánchez and Trevoh Chalobah have been shown straight red cards.

In his postmatch press conference, Maresca admitted he can sympathise with the split-second decisions which led to Sánchez’s dismissal against Manchester United and Chalobah’s exit against Brighton, but he warned his squad he would not tolerate avoidable dismissals like those racked up by Delap, Gusto and Pedro.

“[The message is] to everyone,” he began. “I completely understand when there are red cards like Brighton or Man Utd, that is difficult, but red card against Nottingham Forest and red card today, both we can avoid that. And we have to avoid that.”

Delap’s dismissal means he returns to the sidelines to serve a one-match ban, which rules him out of the weekend meeting with Tottenham Hotspur.

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