Rio Ferdinand Criticizes Chelsea’s Treatment of Raheem Sterling
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Rio Ferdinand has torn into Chelsea for their treatment of Raheem Sterling after he was unexpectedly dropped for their 2-0 Premier League defeat by Manchester City.
Sterling’s camp exclusively revealed to Mail Sport on Sunday that he was ‘seeking clarity’ over his future and that his exclusion was a bolt out of the blue.
Ferdinand has warned Chelsea bosses about the dangers of treating an ‘uncle’ figure in such a ‘wild ‘way.
He also claimed Sterling’s treatment was part of a wider apathetic trend at Stamford Bridge of players finding out key information over email rather than in person.
‘I see all the young players, especially in that squad, talk about Raheem, it’s like Uncle Raheem. Cole Palmer, the likes of Reece James, it’s Uncle Raheem,’ the former Manchester United star said on Rio Ferdinand Presents.
Rio Ferdinand has slammed Chelsea’s treatment of Raheem Sterling after he was excluded from their squad against Manchester City
‘And he’s looked after a lot of these boys, they come to him, so when you kick that guy in the changing room, all of them are going to limp at some point and they aren’t going to take it well and you create a problem in your own dressing room.
‘There’s nobody delivering that message with any clarity, and from what I’m hearing he (Sterling) has got no understanding of where his situation lies.
‘He hasn’t had anyone in the hierarchy come to him and say: “Listen, you’re surplus to requirements, we want to get rid of you.”
‘And what I’m hearing is that the last conversation that was had was like “everything is fine.
‘I’m hearing they’re getting told (updates) by email and stuff like that. This is wild.’
Joleon Lescott agreed, calling it ‘wild’ that ‘someone of that stature in a Chelsea team’ can be discarded in such a way.
He added: ‘You’re going to ask a player to leave and there’s obviously years on the contracts, so you want to leave in good faith because then players are okay when the cicumstances are made, you leave a bit on the table in order to go somewhere else, but if you treat me like a piece of s*** then I’m not going to do you any favours.’
Meanwhile, former Chelsea star Jody Morris pointed to how Trevoh Chalobah trained heavily with Enzo Maresca over pre-season and then was left out of the squad to tour the United States.
Ferdinand says that Sterling is seen as an ‘uncle’ figure by players such as Reece James
Cole Palmer also sees him as an ‘uncle’ figure, Ferdinand said, as he ‘looks after’ players
Sterling joined Chelsea from Manchester City in 2022 and has since scored 19 goals in 81 games.
A statement from Sterling’s camp ahead of Sunday’s match: ‘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.’
Sterling has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer and news of his anticipated non-inclusion in the party that faces the Premier League champions indicates his Chelsea future could lie elsewhere.
Juventus are among the clubs with an interest in Sterling, who it is, understood, could leave this summer.
More to follow.
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