Chelsea won 3-1. The scoreline was comfortable, and Xabi Alonso left Stamford Bridge with his first home result in the bag. But none of that was what anyone was talking about.
Enzo Fernandez walked out for the second half against Real Sociedad on Saturday, and sections of the Chelsea support made their feelings clear. Every touch was met with a mix of boos and cheers. When his name was read out over the PA 45 minutes before kick-off, the reaction from early arrivals was split — and not in a good way for the 24-year-old.
Some fans even applauded when he was fouled.
This had been building all summer. Fernandez went public with his desire to join Real Madrid, and the Spanish club ultimately walked away. The damage with Chelsea fans was already done. His agent, Javier Pastore, then told the press his client was underpaid — a claim that landed badly at a club where supporters already felt he had shown disloyalty.
After Madrid cooled their interest, his camp held talks with Manchester City. No offer came close to Chelsea's £120m asking price before the club's self-imposed Friday 17:00 BST deadline. Fernandez stayed. The relationship with the fanbase didn't repair itself overnight.
The result itself gave Alonso something to work with. Morgan Rogers scored on his Chelsea debut. Joao Pedro grabbed two — one on each side of half-time — to give the new manager a clean 3-1 win. The football had moments of real quality, and Alonso's blueprint was visible: press high, move fast, use the width.
But Fernandez's situation hangs over the whole project. Chelsea's new manager needs his record signing mentally present, not checking real estate listings in Madrid. Whether that relationship can be rebuilt over the next few weeks is the biggest unanswered question at Stamford Bridge ahead of the Premier League season opener on August 22.
How the crowd receives Fernandez that day — and how he responds — may set the tone for Chelsea's entire campaign.
0 Comments