Chelsea head coach, Enzo Maresca, has defended the club’s decision to have Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi train separately from the first team, insisting that being sidelined is “not sad in life.”
Reports emerged Thursday that the Professional Footballers’ Association had contacted the club over the treatment of the duo, who were deemed surplus to requirements and have spent the season entirely isolated.
Both players have trained and eaten separately from the squad, with Maresca confirming he has not seen or spoken to either this campaign.
Sterling, whose loan spell at Arsenal last season was unremarkable, still has two years remaining on his £325,000-per-week contract signed in 2022.
Disasi, meanwhile, is tied to Chelsea until 2029 and spent the latter half of last season on loan at Aston Villa.
Neither player managed to secure a transfer during the summer window despite Chelsea facilitating potential moves.
“I’ve been in Raheem’s and Axel’s position before,” Maresca said. “It’s not the best feeling as a player because you want to train and play. But the situation is what it is, and the club is giving them the chance to work properly. This applies not only at Chelsea but at any club worldwide—if a solution isn’t found, and a player isn’t in the squad, this is the reality.”
FIFA regulations cover cases where players are isolated in ways that could be considered abusive, potentially allowing them to terminate their contracts early.
Chelsea reportedly tried to arrange moves for Sterling to Bayern Munich and Napoli during the summer, but the 30-year-old preferred to stay in England for family reasons.
