Calum McFarlane, Chelsea's interim coach, named one player after the team defeated Leeds United to reach the FA Cup final.
Calum McFarlane, the interim coach of the "Blues" Chelsea, stated he had no hesitation in appointing Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez as captain after Enzo delivered an outstanding performance by scoring the winning goal to lead the team to a 1-0 victory over Leeds United in the FA Cup semi-final last night.
Previously, 24-year-old Enzo was suspended for two matches by former coach Liam Rosier due to comments about a potential move to Spain after rumors linked him to a transfer to Real Madrid. However, McFarlane said he knew Enzo's qualities and abilities well and therefore had no hesitation in choosing him to lead the team in such an important match.
McFarlane said, "I had no hesitation appointing him as captain. I told him after the game, 'You like scoring at the far post, don’t you?' and he just laughed."
"He did very well. He has been doing that all year. He is a winner. He has many talents. He has a fighting spirit. He is a key asset to this team. The best thing about Enzo is that he can do everything."
"When times get tough, you see his commitment. You see him motivate the team. You see him make tackles. You see him win back the ball every time we lose it. He played excellently today and deserved to be Man of the Match."
One of the main reasons Chelsea decided to sack Rosier as coach was because he lost the support of the dressing room, which raised questions among the media and fans about the players' mindset and attitude. But McFarlane was pleased that the team showed strong commitment in this game.
"I think our commitment and drive were excellent. That was our best form, and I think we need to show that level as much as possible because that is what this group is capable of. There are many winners in the dressing room, and I’m glad we demonstrated that today."