Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca labelled Liam Delap’s dismissal against Wolves as “embarrassing”, criticising the player for receiving the club’s sixth red card of the current season.
According to Mirror reporting, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was left feeling “embarrassed” by his players after their poor disciplinary record continued with a sixth red card of the season during their Carabao Cup victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. The latest dismissal involved forward Liam Delap, who was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession at Molineux.
The incident occurred after Delap, a summer signing who was returning from an injury lay-off, was introduced as a second-half substitute. Despite the setback, the Blues managed to hold on for a thrilling 4-3 win, but Maresca’s frustration with the team’s discipline was clear.
The manager criticized Delap’s actions as selfish, emphasizing that the red card was entirely avoidable, especially after attempting to advise the player following his initial booking.
Maresca stated: “We had a very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary, and was absolutely deserved. We can avoid red cards like these and we have to avoid them. When it’s a red card like today, it’s embarrassing. There were two yellow cards in seven minutes, both avoidable. It’s no good. After the yellow card, I told him (Delap) four or five times to keep calm.”
Maresca suggested Delap struggled to take instruction, adding: “But Liam is a player that when he’s inside the pitch probably he’ll be playing the game for himself and he struggles to realise and to listen around him.”
Delap later addressed his mistake on social media, accepting accountability: “I take full responsibility for my actions. I will behave next time.” This dismissal follows others this season, including cards for Robert Sánchez and Trevoh Chalobah in recent league fixtures.