
Life harder for my dad than footballers – Maresca
Sterling & Disasi’s Ongoing Exile
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Both Sterling (30) and Disasi (26) have been training separately from the Chelsea senior team under Maresca.
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The PFA (Professional Footballers’ Association) has intervened, monitoring the situation to ensure the players are not subjected to what FIFA could define as ‘abusive conduct’ — something that could legally justify a contract termination by the player.
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Maresca insists:
“I’ve been in Raheem’s and Axel’s situation as a player. For sure, I know it is not the best feeling… but I know the club is giving them the tools to work in the right way.”
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FIFA guidelines protect isolated players, requiring fair training conditions to be met.
Maresca’s Blunt Response
When asked if the mental challenge of being excluded affected the duo, Maresca responded with an unusually harsh comparison:
“My father is 75 years old and for 50 years he’s been a fisherman, working from 2 o’clock in the morning until 10. That is a hard life — not the way a player works.”
He added:
“When no solution is found, you give the player all the tools to train… but if you’re not in the squad, you’re not in the squad.”
Why Sterling & Disasi Remain

Dad’s fisherman life more difficult than Sterling & Disasi’s – Maresca
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Raheem Sterling
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On £325,000/week until 2027.
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Preferred to stay in London for family reasons.
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Turned down overseas moves (Juventus, Napoli, Leverkusen) and was not pursued by Arsenal.
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Fulham chose alternative wide players.
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Axel Disasi
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Under contract until 2029.
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Tried to arrange a loan back to Monaco, but no formal offer materialised.
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Rejected deadline-day loans to Bournemouth, Sunderland, and West Ham.
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Garnacho Ready to Start vs Man United
Chelsea’s trip to Old Trafford on Saturday will see Alejandro Garnacho in line to start against his former club, after a controversial summer exit:
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£40m signing in August from Manchester United.
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Was ordered to train separately at United by coach Ruben Amorim after questioning his lack of playing time in the Europa League final loss to Tottenham.
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Maresca confirmed:
“He’s ready to start.”
When asked about potential boos at Old Trafford, Maresca drew comparisons to Marc Cucurella, who was jeered by Bayern fans midweek for a contentious Euro 2024 handball:
“As a player, you have to learn to endure these kinds of things.”
Context Behind the ‘Bomb Squad’ Mentality
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Maresca’s comments may reflect an attempt to set a tone of professionalism, resilience, and accountability within Chelsea’s dressing room.
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Yet, they could also risk tension with sidelined stars or the players’ union.
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FIFA and PFA oversight ensures Chelsea must maintain acceptable conditions for excluded players, even if they are not matchday options.
What’s Next?
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Chelsea travel to Manchester United on Saturday, with Garnacho expected to start.
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Sterling & Disasi continue training outside the squad structure amid potential winter transfer window moves — assuming clubs revisit interest.
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