Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has revealed that Liam Delap apologised to his teammates after being sent off in Wednesday’s League Cup win over Wolves — an incident that initially drew sharp criticism from the coach.
Maresca had called the England U21 striker “stupid” and “embarrassing” for receiving two yellow cards within seven minutes of coming on as a substitute — his first appearance since August. Despite the setback, Chelsea managed to edge out a 4-3 victory at Molineux.
Speaking on Friday, Maresca confirmed Delap’s remorse:
“Straight after the game, in the changing room, he apologised to everyone. He knows what happened, he understands his mistake. That’s it — full stop.”
The Italian later clarified his earlier comments, explaining that they were misunderstood and reaffirming his belief in Delap’s potential.
“Liam focuses too much on his duels with defenders instead of the bigger picture — that’s what I meant,” Maresca said. “He’ll be a fantastic player for us; he just needs to improve certain aspects.”
Chelsea’s season has been marred by red cards, with five dismissals in their last nine games. Maresca himself was sent off earlier this month during celebrations of a late winner against Liverpool.
“We’re trying to correct this pattern,” he added. “Hopefully, we can learn and be better going forward.”
Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Sunderland last weekend dropped them to ninth in the Premier League, but they remain just three points behind third-placed Tottenham ahead of Saturday’s clash in north London.
