Raheem Sterling's camp released an extraordinary statement ahead of kick-off seeking "clarity" after exclusion from Chelsea squad vs Man City; Jamie Redknapp, Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge were not impressed; Chelsea lost 2-0 to Man City on Super Sunday
Monday 19 August 2024 15:50, UK
Raheem Sterling's camp's statement after the winger was left out of Chelsea's squad against Manchester City has been roundly criticised by Sky Sports' Super Sunday pundits.
Sterling didn't feature in Chelsea's squad for their season opener, and in a statement released just before kick-off, his camp said they were seeking "further clarity" on his future at the club.
The decision to publicly release such a statement in the build-up to kick-off was met with criticism by Jamie Redknapp, Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge...
A spokesperson for Sterling said:
"Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea Football Club for the next three years.
"He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training, and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with.
"He is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chelsea FC and the fans, who he holds in high regard, and given his inclusion in official club pre-match material this week, our expectation was that Raheem would be involved in this weekend's fixture in some capacity.
"As a camp, we have always had positive dialogue with, and assurance from, Chelsea FC in relation to Raheem's future at the club, so we look forward to gaining clarity on the situation. Until then, we will continue to support Raheem's desire to start the new season positively."
Jamie Redknapp: "He said he's come back two weeks early, that's really good of him - you don't need to talk about it. Play better. He hasn't been great since he's been at Chelsea.
"If the manager doesn't want to play you, just get on with it. Don't get your representatives to come out and do that, especially the day of the game. That's absolute rubbish, he should do better than that. His representatives should do better than that. That's a really poor statement. There's other players that could be putting statements out that aren't in the squad.
"He hasn't done well enough. It's your opinion, if you think you've been doing well enough in pre-season, just keep doing better. The manager's opinion is the only one that counts and if he's not going to pick you that's unlucky. You have to get back in training tomorrow morning and be the best trainer and show that you want to play. That's the only way you're going to get back in the team."
Micah Richards: "Raheem and his team know exactly what they're doing - they're trying to make noise. There's a lot of noise around the club anyway. Putting that statement out before the game is not good enough.
"That is not going to help his team-mates and probably his case of getting back into the team.
"He's called his manager out and let his team-mates down. That's my problem with it. He's better than that."
Daniel Sturridge: "The timing's not great, especially on the day of the game. He will feel he's good enough to help Chelsea. He's come back early, he's had a good pre-season, in his mind he's probably thinking he felt he'd be involved. They're probably surprised by it. I don't agree with the message going out on the day of the game. Sterling is a good enough player to be in the Chelsea squad."
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said: "I want Sterling but I want all of them. I can't have them all so some will have to leave. In the next few days, we will see if we can clarify the situation."
And speaking to Sky Sports before the game, Maresca said: "The manager has to take decisions that people and players doesn't like - it's normal. It's just a technical decision, no more than that. We will see in the next days."
Juventus retain an interest in Raheem Sterling, reports Sky Italy's Gianluca Di Marzio.
Sterling has been on Juve's list of targets all summer as they want to sign at least one winger. However, his high wages at Chelsea are a significant stumbling block in any deal.
