Fernandez has been linked with a move to Los Blancos, and was asked by Argentine channel SpiderCARP which city he’d like to live in, with the midfielder replying: “Madrid… I like Madrid very much… it’s similar to Buenos Aires.”
It’s sparked anger within the Chelsea fanbase, with Mikel also making his feelings known in the latest episode of the Obi One Podcast. Blasting the 25-year-old for his comments, Mikel said: “That’s not a leader. That’s something where if you have leaders, if you have leaders that players respect and look up to, you wouldn’t come out and make those statements.
“You’d be thinking, ‘How is this going to go down in the dressing room? How is this going to go down with the top players, the big players, when they see this?’ You were the captain in that game (vs Paris Saint-Germain) and you come out and make those statements… how would that go down well with the senior players in the dressing room?”
Before rather bluntly adding: “For him to come out and make such a statement after we’ve been disgracefully dumped out of the Champions League, and you come out after wearing the captain’s armband… no player is bigger than the football club. If he’s had enough, put your hands up, f*** off and we move on. We move on. No player player is bigger than the football club, especially a club as huge as Chelsea.”
Continuing his criticism, Mikel added: “You cannot come out and say that, it doesn’t matter what is going on. It doesn’t matter what is happening, you’re being paid handsomely to be at this football club, you should be grateful that you’re playing for a club like Chelsea. When you come out and make that statement, that is very, very disrespectful to the football club and to the fans.”
Fernandez will be looking to do his talking on the pitch when Chelsea return to action after the international break. The Blues have a favourable FA Cup quarter-final tie against Port Vale, before welcoming Manchester City to Stamford Bridge the following week in the Premier League. Liam Rosenior’s side find themselves one point behind fifth-placed Liverpool in the hunt for Champions League qualification.
