JAVIER PASTORE SLAMS LIAM ROSENIOR’S "UNFAIR" SUSPENSION OF STAR ENZO FERNANDEZ
Enzo Fernandez’s agent warns Chelsea over "unfair" treatment as Real Madrid rumours swirl ahead of the World Cup.
Enzo Fernandez’s agent isn’t holding back; he just blasted Chelsea’s head coach, Liam Rosenior, and the higher-ups, calling the decision to bench Fernandez “completely unfair.” Fernandez, fresh off a World Cup win with Argentina, got punished after saying in an interview that he’d like to live in Madrid someday. Of course, that kicked off a round of speculation connecting him to Real Madrid.
His agent, Javier Pastore, who used to play for PSG, can’t believe Chelsea took such a hard line. Rosenior made it official: Fernandez won’t play in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Port Vale, or next weekend’s key Premier League meeting with Manchester City. The coach said Fernandez crossed the line when it comes to the club’s values, after talking about his interest in Spain.
But Pastore says that’s just not right. “This punishment doesn’t fit at all. You’re banning one of Chelsea’s most important players from two really crucial games that could decide if they make the Champions League,” he told The Athletic. Pastore says Fernandez is an anchor for the squad and, in his view, there’s no real justification for such a harsh response.
All this goes back to Fernandez telling an interviewer he’d like to live in Spain one day. Rosenior saw that as a distraction and disrespectful to the club, but Pastore insists his client was just honest about his lifestyle preferences, not making a pitch for a Real Madrid move. According to Pastore, Fernandez didn’t ask for this, and even though he accepted the coach’s call because he’s professional and respects the team, he still doesn’t get why it happened. “He never mentioned any club or said he wanted to leave Chelsea, not even close,” Pastore added. Fernandez only brought up Madrid because it reminds him of Buenos Aires, with the language and culture. “He never said he wanted to leave Chelsea or London,” Pastore pointed out.
And the timing couldn’t be messier. The club and Fernandez’s team have been talking about a possible contract extension for the £107 million signing, but this drama just put everything under a microscope. Pastore warned the board that if they don’t reach a new deal by the end of this summer’s World Cup, Fernandez will start looking at other clubs. That’s more pressure on a club already juggling internal issues. Pastore blamed journalists for overhyping Fernandez’s comments, insisting, “He never said he wanted to leave reporters just twisted things.”
Fernandez isn’t the only one clashing with Rosenior, either. The manager recently had to deal with Marc Cucurella’s interview about wanting to go back to Barcelona. Cucurella didn’t get suspended, but Rosenior made it clear he wasn’t happy those views went public instead of being handled inside the club. So, there’s definitely more than one fire to put out at Cobham these days.
MOISES CAICEDO SPARKS REAL MADRID TRANSFER RUMORS WITH "TIME WILL TELL" ADMISSION
Chelsea’s season hits a low point as Caicedo admits tactical struggles and refuses to rule out a Real Madrid move.
Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo isn’t exactly shutting down the rumours about a move to Real Madrid. When reporters asked if he could see himself joining Madrid one day, he dodged a firm answer. It’s a messy time for Chelsea, too, with captain Enzo Fernandez openly saying he likes Madrid and wouldn’t mind living in Spain. Fernandez got dropped for the next two games, and his agent is fuming about what he called an “unfair” decision.
It’s not helping the mood at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea just crashed out of the Champions League after four straight losses to PSG, and they’ve slipped to sixth in the league. The new manager, Liam Rosenior, is trying to pull everyone together before Saturday’s FA Cup quarterfinal against Port Vale. Still, there’s clear tension: Marc Cucurella used the international break to voice his own frustration.
Now Caicedo, another crucial player, has added to the uncertainty. Speaking to reporters in Madrid while on duty with Ecuador, he didn’t exactly hide the possibility of switching clubs: “You never really know in football, right?” he said. “I’m under contract with Chelsea, and honestly, I haven’t thought about leaving. But you just never know.”
He didn’t leave much doubt that he’s enjoying his time in London, though. “Chelsea is a great club. They’ve looked after me since I got here, and I want to give something back every game, for as long as I’m here. Time will tell.”
Caicedo has made 139 appearances since Chelsea spent £115 million to bring him in from Brighton last August. His contract runs until June 2031, which makes all the transfer talk kind of hypothetical for now, but his other quotes didn’t exactly kill the speculation.
Then there’s the coaching situation. Cucurella spoke up about how the team has struggled since Enzo Maresca left in January, and Caicedo agreed. “It’s tough. We got used to a certain style with Maresca, and Rosenior does things differently. It’s been hard to adapt,” he said. “Sometimes you adjust fast, sometimes it takes longer. Honestly, the whole team feels it right now. But we just have to push through. There’s still a lot to play for.”
CHELSEA SMASHES MAN CITY’S 2011 RECORD FOR HIGHEST ANNUAL FOOTBALL DEFICIT
Chelsea Football Club faces FA fines and record deficits despite a projected £700M revenue for the 2026 season.
Chelsea has reported a pre-tax loss of £262.4 million for the 2024-25 financial year, marking the largest deficit recorded in Premier League history. This figure represents a sharp reversal from the previous year’s profit, which was largely driven by the internal sale of the club’s women’s team.
The financial statements, covering the period ending June 30, 2025, show a loss that surpasses the previous record of £197.5 million, held by Manchester City since 2011. Interestingly, just a year earlier, Chelsea had posted a profit of £128.4 million, but that was heavily influenced by the £200 million sale of Chelsea Women to Blueco Midco, a subsidiary of the parent company.
Club executives have attributed this downturn mainly to a significant increase in operating expenses during the 2024-25 season. Despite the substantial loss, Chelsea still generated £490.9 million in revenue, its second-highest figure ever, supported in part by earnings from participating in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Importantly for supporters and the management team, Chelsea insists it remains compliant with the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). Although the rules typically limit losses to £105 million over a rolling three-year period, the club has leveraged certain “add-backs” allowed under league regulations. Expenditures related to infrastructure, the academy, and the women’s side qualify as deductible costs, helping Chelsea avoid penalties that have impacted other clubs recently. Insiders suggest the club’s financial setup now aligns fully with regulatory demands, with revenue expected to exceed £700 million in the coming 2025-26 year.
Since Todd Boehly’s consortium took over from Roman Abramovich in mid-2022, Chelsea has dramatically reshaped the transfer market, investing around £1.5 billion in new players. Yet, the club highlights its record transfer sales last summer as a counterbalance, reportedly the highest in Premier League history. Agents’ fees remain controlled, reportedly at or below league averages.
The financial report also sheds light on the women’s team. Chelsea Football Club Women Ltd posted a £17.1 million loss, despite growing revenues of £21.3 million driven by the rising popularity of women’s football.
Chelsea continues to manage issues tied to the Abramovich era. Following admissions of breaches involving payments to agents, the club anticipates fines from the Football Association. Boehly’s group had prudently set aside funds upon taking over in 2022 to cover any such penalties.
This follows a recent Premier League inquiry into undisclosed payments totalling £47.5 million under previous ownership. While there was no points deduction last month, the club was fined £10.75 million and handed a suspended one-year transfer ban. The league credited Chelsea's cooperation during the investigation for the relatively mild sporting penalties, though the club remains under conditional scrutiny concerning future UEFA compliance.
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