Rio Ferdinand has hit out at Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca for going easy on Noni Madueke after the winger’s behaviour following his substitution against Arsenal.
Visibly annoyed, Madueke stormed off the pitch into the tunnel rather than sitting on the bench to watch the remainder of the game after he was substituted in the 68th minute in Sunday’s clash at the Stamford Bridge—an action Ferdinand labelled as disrespectful to the Chelsea players.
Pay Attention: Get the best tips from our Bet of the Day
Ferdinand hits out at Maresca and Madueke
The Manchester United legend said that, during his playing days, he would not have tolerated such behaviour as a teammate, and his manager at the time, Sir Alex Ferguson, wouldn’t have put up with it either.
“You think (Danny) Welbeck or Tom Cleverly or Nani are going to storm off the pitch and throw their dummy out?, Ferdinand said, speaking on his YouTube channel.
“It’s disrespectful to your teammates as well.
“It’s a young team. Who are the experienced players who are going to go in there and say, ‘Woah, we don’t accept that here’.
“And I understand his thinking but at the same time, I don’t understand why you are doing that.”
The former defender said he found it’ mad’ that manager Maresca instead covered up Madueke’s behaviour when the Italian tactician was asked about the situation in his post-match conference.
“That’s where the manager comes in. I think the manager protecting him is mad.
“And that’s why I couldn’t be in there [as a manager] because I couldn’t come out and play the game where you say, ‘Yeah he was in the wrong but [he’s a good kid]’. Fined, that’s a two-week fine.”
Meanwhile, Madueke was criticised by fans for his performance against Arsenal.
The winger appeared to have found his form for Maresca’s side this season, scoring five goals in 13 appearances.
However, after his latest performance and behaviour, his spot in the Italian’s starting lineup now appears uncertain.
