Chelsea star Raheem Sterling snubbed by coach Enzo Maresca in bizarre ‘fisherman’ comparison
In recent seasons, Chelsea has been one of the biggest spenders in European soccer. Some of those investments began to pay off last season under Enzo Maresca, as the club won both the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup. Still, not every signing delivered the expected results—Raheem Sterling being a clear example.
The English winger joined Chelsea in 2022 from Manchester City. While he was an important figure in his first seasons, his role has since diminished. In fact, last year he was loaned out to Arsenal, where he also struggled to make an impact. Upon returning to London this summer, Maresca chose not to include him in his squad.
Since the summer, Sterling has been training separately from the rest of the team while waiting for a potential move to another club—the same situation facing Axel Disasi. The coach was asked about the struggles of both players during Friday’s press conference.
“My father is 75 years old and for 50 years he has been a fisherman, working from two o’clock in the morning until 10 o’clock,” Maresca began, according to the Daily Mail. “This is a hard life. Not for players.”
However, the Italian coach did go on to acknowledge that the situations of Disasi and Sterling are far from ideal. “I’ve been in Raheem’s situation and Axel’s situation as a player and for sure, I know that it’s not the best feeling for a player because if you are a player, that means that you want to train and play games,” he said. “The situation is the situation.”
Maresca defends Chelsea’s decision on Sterling
It’s not unusual for a coach to leave a player out of the squad, but what’s drawn attention in this case is the conditions in which Sterling and Disasi are currently training. The English winger recently posted a photo on Instagram showing the training ground at night, along with the caption “Training” and emojis of a handshake and a freezing face.
Maresca was clear when asked about it. “I know that the club is giving them the opportunity to work in the right way. I know it’s something that you like and you want to talk about, but it’s not just Chelsea, it’s any club in the world,” the coach said. “If you are not involved in the squad, you are not involved in the squad. It’s not about Chelsea, it’s about any club in the world.”
How much does Sterling earn at Chelsea?
It’s clear that Chelsea are looking to move Raheem Sterling as soon as possible—not only because he’s no longer part of the coach’s plans, but also due to the significant financial cost of keeping him.
Sterling is the highest-paid player at Chelsea. He signed with the club in 2022 on a five-year deal, with two seasons still remaining. According to the Daily Mail, the English winger earns more than £300,000 a week (around $400,000).