In a stunning turn of events, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has been hit with a one-match touchline ban for the crucial showdown against Aston Villa, following his latest yellow card in the dramatic 2-2 draw against Newcastle United on Saturday.
The Blues racked up a whopping seven bookings during their resilient comeback at St. James’ Park, with Maresca himself seeing yellow just before the 60-minute mark. The caution came after his heated protest against referee Andy Madley’s call to award Newcastle a free kick for Moises Caicedo’s tackle.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, the Italian boss voiced his frustration over what he perceived as inconsistent officiating. “I was complaining just because the same foul was a yellow card for us and they did exactly the same foul three times,” Maresca explained. “Make foul, take it from behind and no yellow card. So I was just complaining why the same foul, one is yellow card and the other one is no yellow card.”
While Maresca’s argument may hold water, the consequences are severe. Under FA regulations, technical staff face a one-game suspension after three yellow cards—and this marked Maresca’s third. As a result, he’ll be sidelined from the touchline for next Saturday’s high-stakes clash with third-placed Aston Villa.
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This isn’t Chelsea’s first rodeo with such a setback; Maresca previously served a similar ban after two bookings in the victory over Liverpool. In his absence, assistant Willy Caballero took the reins, guiding the team to a win—but that was against a faltering Nottingham Forest. Facing Unai Emery’s red-hot Villa side, who boast an impressive 10-game winning streak across all competitions after edging Manchester United 2-1, will be a far tougher test.
On the brighter side, Maresca won’t be completely isolated. He’ll still be allowed in the stadium—perhaps in the director’s box—and can relay instructions to his staff via phone or a designated runner. He’s also free to join the team in the dressing room pre-match, at halftime, and post-game.