Enzo Maresca has played down Chelsea’s treatment of Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi, saying his dad had a much tougher life as a fisherman.
Sterling and Disasi are continuing to train away from the senior squad having failed to secure moves away from Stamford Bridge this summer.… pic.twitter.com/fjlGzSk5yO
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) September 19, 2025
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has dismissed concerns over the treatment of Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi, insisting the club is providing proper support despite the duo training away from the first team.
Sterling, Chelsea’s highest-paid player on more than £300,000 a week, and defender Disasi failed to secure moves during the summer transfer window and remain on individual training programs at the club’s Cobham base. The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has contacted Chelsea, as it has other clubs, to ensure both players’ welfare is protected.
Asked if the situation could affect their mental health, Maresca responded with a personal comparison: “My father is 75 years old and for 50 years he has been a fisherman, working from 2 o’clock in the morning until 10 o’clock in the morning. This is hard in life, not a player, the way they work.”
The Italian coach, speaking ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, added: “I have been in Raheem and Axel’s situation as a player. For sure, I know it is not the best feeling for a player because you want to train, you want to play a game. For different reasons, the situation is the situation. I know that the club is giving them the opportunity to work in the right way.”
Sterling has not played a competitive game under Maresca in 15 months and spent last season on loan at Arsenal. Disasi spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa after struggling for form.