'A statement of anger → expelling the first team' Chelsea's Gye-reuk wants Aston Villa
Aug 23, 2024
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Sterling was recently expelled from the first team. British media Daily Star reported on the 21st (Korean time) 'Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca expelled Sterling and some of his players from the first team squad. Chelsea lost 0-2 in the opening match of the English Premier League (EPL) in the 2024-2025 season against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in London on the 19th. Erling Holan in the 18th minute of the first half and Mateo Kovacic in the 39th minute of the second half allowed consecutive goals.
It was Enzo Maresca's debut match. Chelsea parted ways with Mauricio Pochettino at the end of last season. Pep Guardiola's right-hand man and Maresca, who led the promotion to Leicester City last season, was brought in. Chelsea have caused concern throughout the pre-season with their ups and downs, which they ended up losing from the first game.
What caught the eye was Sterling's exclusion from the list. Sterling, who had consistently received opportunities during the preseason, was not listed as a starter at all. Sterling appears to be very upset by this situation.
Sterling issued a statement through a representative. Sterling's representative said "Sterling still has a three-year contract with Chelsea. He returned to England early to conduct individual training sessions and had a positive pre-season under his new manager. We are always trying to show Chelsea and the fans high quality, and we understand that Sterling will play in this game to some extent. As I have had a positive conversation with Chelsea and I am confident about Sterling's future, I would like to hear Chelsea's answer on this situation."
It has been speculated that Sterling could leave Chelsea this summer. In fact, Juventus strongly wanted Sterling. Sterling chose to stay for now and prepared for the pre-season, but the unexpected exclusion of the list caused complaints.
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He said "I'm going to be with 21 players now, not 42. Fifteen to 20 athletes are training separately. It's not a mess. That's not to say Sterling isn't a good player. But I prefer a different kind of winger. It's simple. To be honest, he won't have time here" he added.
Sterling joined Chelsea through the summer 2022 transfer window. At the time, his transfer fee amounted to £50 million. He scored 19 goals in 81 games for Chelsea. Many teams are paying attention to Sterling, who is not as good as his heyday, but can still perform well. The Sun of England said on the 23rd, `Sterling is one of the players Chelsea is trying to sell. Sterling is also looking for a way out of Chelsea. Aston Villa have entered into detailed discussions over Sterling's recruitment, it said.
vanbasten@sportschosun.com
