‘Maresca must handle Fernandez situation seriously’

There were plenty of smiles on the first official day of Chelsea‘s pre-season tour, but it also felt a little strange.

An open training session gave a real insight into how the Blues are gearing up for the new season, with Enzo Maresca running a very tactical session in front of selected media outlets.

A combination of possession, build-up play and attacking exercises were devised in the baking Palo Alto sun, a stone’s throw from where tech giants Google, Tesla, Facebook (Meta), X and Microsoft are based.

Yet those same social media firms are at the heart of a controversy gripping the club, with Enzo Fernandez facing accusations of racism following a post on Instagram.

Teammate Wesley Fofana has accused Fernandez of ‘uninhibited racism’ on his social media platforms, while the club has launched disciplinary proceedings and Fifa has started an investigation into the incident.

The Argentina midfielder has since apologised.

Normally, a new Chelsea manager would have a big showpiece press conference, but Maresca’s lasted just 11 minutes at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, where the Blues will face Wrexham in his first match in charge.

There were questions about Fernandez as Maresca acknowledged the low-key nature of the event, which took place at 02:15 GMT and 18:15 local time.

The Italian was friendly and upbeat, but he must handle this situation seriously as Fernandez is expected to meet up with Chelsea again on Monday, 29 July.