Inside Enzo Maresca and Raheem Sterling fallout from fisherman jibe to Chelsea statement

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca was given the chance to respond to questions about his handling of Raheem Sterling on Friday — and he’s not backing down.

It emerged earlier this week that the PFA was in talks with the Blues over the way the club has dealt with Sterling and his teammate Axel Disasi.

Both players left Chelsea on loan last season and were linked with moves throughout the summer. However, neither secured a transfer before the deadline and both have been training away from the first-team squad.

At his press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with Manchester United, Maresca was asked about Sterling’s situation. His response was pretty blunt.

“My father is 75 years old and for 50 years he has been a fisherman, working from 2 o’clock in the morning until 10 o’clock in the morning,” the Italian told reporters. “This is hard in life — not a player, the way they work.”

At this point, the relationship has clearly broken down. But how did we get here?

Sterling statement released

From the opening week of last season, it was apparent Sterling no longer had a future at Chelsea.

Maresca’s tenure began with a 2-0 loss to Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. Sterling was not included in the starting XI — or even on the bench.

It was a surprising omission, given the England international had featured in all of Chelsea’s pre-season fixtures that summer. Sterling was unhappy with the decision, and his representatives issued a statement about his snub.

“He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training, and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with,“ it said.

“He is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chelsea and the fans, who he holds in high regard, and given his inclusion in official club pre-match material this week, our expectation was that Raheem would be involved in this weekend’s fixture in some capacity.

“As a camp, we have always had positive dialogue with, and assurance from, Chelsea FC in relation to Raheem’s future at the club, so we look forward to gaining clarity on the situation. Until then, we will continue to support Raheem’s desire to start the new season positively.”

Maresca makes his point

Relations deteriorated quickly after that public message.

“To be honest, I didn’t see the statement,” Maresca told Sky Sports in the aftermath. “I have nothing to say. It was a tactical decision, no more than that. In the next day, we will clarify if we need to. I have been clear, it’s a tactical decision.”

The Chelsea boss later confirmed that Sterling was one of several senior players asked to train apart from the first team. From then on, it was evident Sterling would not feature in his plans.

On August 21, Maresca was asked about the “brutal” way players such as Sterling and Ben Chilwell had been handled.

“Brutal? I don’t think so. I try to be honest,“ he said. “I can repeat again if it’s not clear: I spoke with Raheem before the City game. I said he is going to struggle to get minutes with us and this is the reason why he is out of the squad.”

Sterling eventually joined Arsenal on loan, scoring just once in 27 appearances for the Gunners.

Maresca rules out return

Even without that disappointing spell at Arsenal, Sterling forcing his way back into Chelsea’s first-team picture was always going to be difficult. His struggles at the Emirates made it practically impossible.

Unable to secure a move this summer, Sterling remains on the Blues’ books but continues to train away from the squad.

Asked this week if there was any chance of Sterling or Disasi returning to the fold, Maresca was unequivocal.

“No,” he said. “They are Chelsea players and have contracts with the club but at this moment they are still training apart. Since the start of the season I haven’t seen them.”

That leaves Sterling facing at least a wait until January for a move. With two years left on his contract, though, he risks spending more time in Chelsea’s so-called “bomb squad” while still collecting a sizeable salary.