Enzo Maresca Vows Not To Punish Players For Red Cards But Demands More Discipline

Enzo Maresca has admitted Chelsea’s disciplinary grounds must amended but nan caput coach is adamant he will ne'er punish his players for getting reddish cards.

Chelsea, who will beryllium without nan suspended João Pedro erstwhile they big Ajax successful nan Champions League connected Wednesday night, were reduced to 10 men for nan 4th clip this play erstwhile Malo Gusto received a needless 2nd yellowish paper during nan closing stages of past Saturday’s 3-0 triumph complete Nottingham Forest.

The statistic propose that Chelsea, who person picked up 28 yellowish cards successful each competitions, are making life unnecessarily difficult for themselves. They are bottommost of nan Premier League’s adjacent play array and Maresca, who served a touchline prohibition against Forest aft being sent disconnected against Liverpool this month, acknowledged that Gusto’s dismissal for a precocious tackle highlighted wherever his squad tin show much restraint.

“It’s thing that we tin do better,” nan Italian said. “The past 1 is wholly avoidable, because it’s 0-3, nan crippled is finished. For judge location is thing that we person to improve.”

Maresca added context, saying that Gusto’s situation stemmed from a desire to sphere a cleanable sheet. But accusations of naivety are not going away. Chelsea person nan youngest broadside successful nan Premier League and Maresca was asked whether he would effort to stamp retired bad habits by punishing his squad.

“I’m not that benignant of head to punish players,” he said. “I don’t deliberation it’s nan correct measurement to do things. I for illustration to thief them to understand, and past do nan correct things. They are each different kinds of reddish cards, but if you concede 4 aliases 5 it’s thing that we person to improve.

“I person 4 kids and erstwhile they do thing wrong, I don’t punish them. I effort to thatch them to do nan correct things. I effort to dainty nan players successful nan aforesaid way. I deliberation nan players person a strategy wrong nan changing room, truthful a good is thing that they manage.”

Maresca hopes that Enzo Fernández will beryllium disposable against Ajax aft sitting retired nan Forest crippled pinch a knee injury. He said Liam Delap, retired pinch a hamstring wounded since August, was adjacent to returning to training. The absence of Delap and João Pedro against Ajax intends Marc Guiu could lead nan statement for Chelsea, who person a triumph and a conclusion from their first 2 Champions League games.