Son Heung-min scored 123 goals in the EPL. Isn't it a simple name except for the list? ..."He took the lead for the underprivileged team members." The captain appears →"Know Chelsea's internal situation"

Aug 21, 2024

Son Heung-min scored 123 goals in the EPL. Isn't it a simple name except for the list? ...'He took the lead for the underprivileged team members.' The captain appears →'Know Chelsea's internal situation'
AFP Yonhap News



Son Heung-min scored 123 goals in the EPL. Isn't it a simple name except for the list? ...'He took the lead for the underprivileged team members.' The captain appears →'Know Chelsea's internal situation'
AFP Yonhap News
It has been argued that Raheem Sterling's official statement after the list was excluded is not just a protest.

Britain's Metro reported on the 21st (Korea time) 'Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher clashed over Sterling's official statement.

Chelsea have recently become the center of controversy with Sterling's official statement. It started as a starting player for the league's opening match against Manchester City.

On the day of the match, Chelsea announced their starting list, but Sterling's name could not be found. With the exception of Sterling, Chelsea lost 0-2 against Manchester City.



Sterling responded to the decision of Enzo Maresca and the club in an official statement immediately after being removed from the list. Sterling said "For the next three years, Sterling has signed a contract with Chelsea. Sterling returned to England two weeks early for individual training this summer and has developed a good relationship with the manager, having a positive pre-season under Maresca. Sterling is always committed to showing his fans the highest level of performance at Chelsea. Given that he was included in the club's official pre-match data this week, he expected to be involved in the match against Manchester City," he said, noting that he was surprised to be excluded from the list.

In fact, it was a surprising choice considering playing in the preseason and so on. Sterling played in all six pre-season games played by Chelsea this summer, starting and replacing.



Sterling said "We have had positive conversations with the club about Sterling's future at Chelsea. I also gained conviction. Therefore, I look forward to getting a clear position on this situation. Until then, we will support Sterling's desire to start the new season on a positive note," he said, urging a clear decision on the reason and future of the list to be excluded.

Son Heung-min scored 123 goals in the EPL. Isn't it a simple name except for the list? ...'He took the lead for the underprivileged team members.' The captain appears →'Know Chelsea's internal situation'
AFP Yonhap News
It was inevitable that a Sterling-level player made an official statement. Sterling is a legendary winger who has scored 123 goals in the English Premier League (EPL) stage alone, a record that goes beyond Son Heung-min. In addition, he played for Liverpool and Manchester City for a long time, showing good enough skills on the EPL stage. In the end, a lot of attention was paid to Chelsea's choice and Sterling's situation after Sterling's official position was announced. There was a lot of speculation.



In some media, Sterling's removal from the list and statements made major headlines for fans, pundits, and the media, obscuring Maresca's first game. The unusual timing and content raised eyebrows among club officials, adding that `Maresca's technical decision to exclude Sterling contrasts significantly with what he called one of our most important players during the pre-season```````.

There were also claims that Sterling was aware of the exclusion from the list, but he raised his work and protested. Global sports media The Athletic reported that Sterling and his camp were not surprised by the news. Already he has been told he will not play against Man City on Friday by a short-lived chat with Maresca, who has spoken of the heightened competition for that position since joining Pedro Netu. However, Sterling welcomed the conversation with Maresca and said Chelsea had also asked for a conversation with the agent to clarify the situation, but it had not yet taken place. Sterling was also aware of the removal from the list but appeared to have made a statement for a quick decision.

Son Heung-min scored 123 goals in the EPL. Isn't it a simple name except for the list? ...'He took the lead for the underprivileged team members.' The captain appears →'Know Chelsea's internal situation'
Photo=MetroCapture
In response to Sterling's statement announcement, EPL legends' arguments were also mixed. Neville understood, while Carragher disagreed. Metro says"Neville and Carragher have differing opinions on Sterling's official statement. Neville acknowledged that the timing of his presentation was bad, but believed he was trying to speak for his teammates in distress.

Neville told Sky Sports that "I cannot agree with a player making a statement about an hour and a half before the start of the game. Because you have to respect your colleagues"But what I'm saying is that he's a great player. He's an experienced player, and he must have felt he had to fight back against things he didn't like. He may refute only for himself, but he may refute on behalf of his marginalized colleagues, such as Conor Gallagher and Trevor Chalova. He might have thought that he needed to let people know what was going on and that the only way he could do it was through his situation,' he said, claiming that Sterling might have tried to clarify the problem with Chelsea's squad through his situation.

Chelsea has already been pointed out several times for its overly bloated squad before the exclusion of the Sterling list. Carragher, who did not defend Sterling in response to the statement, even argued that Chelsea's squad size was too unplanned. Players who are not included in the team's plan are likely to have to train in the second division without a chance to play if the transfer is not made, and Chalobah and Gallagher were already experiencing this situation. Neville said Sterling's statement could have been a way to reveal the situation.

However, Carragher did not agree with Neville. Carragher did not appear to have done it for the team. He is not John Terry or Frank Lampard at Chelsea. Basically, you have to apologize to the coach and focus on training again. He didn't consider anyone else"It was rather a selfish act," he said, refuting.

There are players who are alienated due to the overly large Chelsea squad, and one of them, Sterling, spoke out. Sterling's attitude is also being pointed out, but Chelsea's recruitment stance and team situation also seem to be difficult to avoid criticism.



digh1229@sportschosun.com