Maresca vs Chelsea: Manager critical of 'bad' Acheampong situation

Tom Weber

23 Oct 2024 18:00 BST
3 min read

Josh Acheampong, Enzo Maresca, Chelsea — © IMAGO

Enzo Maresca has admitted that it is a 'shame' that Josh Acheampong has been frozen out at Chelsea.

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The Blues have come under heavy fire for the treatment of their players, particularly of academy graduates, since the start of the Todd Boehly era, with many homegrown stars and fan favourites sacrificed to the Mammon of 'pure profit.'

If the way Chelsea treated Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah in the summer wasn't bad enough, they have now outdone themselves, by essentially telling 18-year-old Josh Acheampong that he will never again play for the club at any level unless he signs a new contract.

In a move that appears dangerously close to blackmail, the Blues have exiled one of their most highly-rated academy graduates simply because he has not yet shown himself willing to commit his long-term future to the club.

Courted by Real Madrid, Acheampong will have no shortage of suitors in January and the summer, but the fact that Chelsea have treated a teenager this way has not been well received by fans and, it seems, even coach Enzo Maresca.

Maresca on 'bad' Acheampong situation

Speaking ahead of Chelsea's Conference League clash with Panathinaikos, Maresca seemingly let slip that it was not his decision to freeze Acheampong out and that he would have liked to give the full-back minutes against the Greek giants.

"I feel a bit [of] shame for Josh because this kind of game could be an opportunity for him. I had a chat with him about three weeks ago about his situation and the chat we had was very good but since that moment I haven't spoken to him again," the Italian said.

"It's a shame because I really think Josh can potentially be a top player. He is still 18, so very young, many things can change. For the future, he can be very important for Chelsea. It's so important for the club that is our intention is not to use him but the first thing we need to do is to find a solution for his contract, for his future.

"It's a bad situation for him at the moment. I don't know if the people are helping him or not. I really like Josh and I would like to have him here with us but it is not possible," Maresca admitted.