Less than a month ago, a scandal broke out with Enzo Fernandez because of his comments on Luzu TV regarding what he thought of the city of Madrid. His statements were interpreted at Chelsea as a wink toward Real Madrid (the club he has been linked with for the 2026/27 season), so Liam Rosenior suspended him for two matches.

All of this at a time when the London team is fighting to qualify for next season’s Champions League and to be the FA Cup champion. However, the atmosphere changed drastically for the Argentina national team midfielder after the coach’s departure.

The results have already been seen on the pitch because Enzo Fernandez scored the goal in Chelsea’s important 1-0 victory over Leeds in the FA Cup semifinal (they will now play the final against Manchester City on 16 May at Wembley).

On that matter, interim coach Calum McFarlane spoke about the former River Plate player in the press conference after the win: “I didn’t hesitate to name him captain. I told him at the end, I said: ‘You like scoring goals at the back post for me.’ And he just laughed. He does it very well; he’s done it all year.”

In that same vein of showing his appreciation for Enzo Fernandez, McFarlane added, “He’s a winner. He has a lot of talent, he has a lot of grit, and he’s essential for this group.

And the best thing about Enzo is that he can do a little bit of everything, but when things get tough, you see the grit he has inside, you see how he pushes the group, you see how he makes tackles, you see how he fights for every loose ball.”

And to close, the strategist highlighted that Chelsea will lean on the Argentine for the rest of the season: “We trust him a lot. That’s why he has changed his position quite a bit in recent years.

He’s played deeper, he’s played as a playmaker, he’s moved around different places, but I think he’s a constant threat inside the box, so the higher up you play him, the more damage he can do to the opponent, especially in that left half-space and attacking the back of the last defensive line.”

Chelsea have lost their last 5 matches in the Premier League, which is why they have fallen to eighth place in the standings and dropped out of the qualification zone for next season’s UEFA competitions. Now, they will look to collect as many points as possible to not lose European experience.

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