Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca did not hold back after Liam Delap’s late dismissal overshadowed his side’s thrilling 4-3 League Cup win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday — the club’s fifth red card in nine matches.
Delap, who was making his return from a hamstring injury after nearly two months on the sidelines, came on as a second-half substitute but lasted just 14 minutes. The striker was first booked in the 79th minute for shoving Yerson Mosquera, then received a second yellow seven minutes later for a foul on Emmanuel Agbadou.
“For sure, today we had another very stupid red card — completely unnecessary,” Maresca told reporters post-match. When asked whether the dismissal was justified, he didn’t hesitate: “Absolutely yes. Stupid foul.”
The Italian manager described the incident as “embarrassing”, criticising the lack of discipline that led to such a preventable ejection. “Two yellow cards in seven minutes — both avoidable,” Maresca said. “After the first one, I told him four or five times to keep calm. But Liam is the kind of player who, once he’s on the pitch, plays emotionally and struggles to listen to what’s around him.”
Maresca, who has previously emphasised education over punishment, reaffirmed his stance on handling such situations. “I have four kids — when they do something wrong, I don’t punish them. I teach them to do the right things. I try to do the same with my players,” he explained in remarks made last week.
Chelsea’s growing disciplinary concerns have come at a delicate time for the team, who currently sit ninth in the Premier League. They will look to regain focus and composure when they travel to face Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
