Rio Ferdinand has voiced his opinion that Noni Madueke should have been handed a two-week fine for his actions after being substituted in Chelsea’s recent game against Arsenal. The young winger, unhappy about being taken off the pitch, chose not to sit on the bench but walked straight down the tunnel instead.
His lack of restraint was visible to all, prompting Ferdinand to share his thoughts regarding the situation. In his playing days at Manchester United, according to Ferdinand, such behaviour from younger players like Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverly or Nani would have been unthinkable and disrespectful towards teammates.
Ferdinand expressed his concerns on Rio Ferdinand Presents: “You think (Danny) Welbeck or Tom Cleverly or Nani are going to storm off the pitch and throw their dummy out? It’s disrespectful to your teammates as well. It’s a young team. Who are the experienced players who are going to go in there and say, ‘Woah, we don’t accept that here’.”
He went on to admit he understood the emotion behind it while also questioning why Madueke acted as he did. Meanwhile, Enzo Maresca defended the player, acknowledging the difficulty players face when substituted: “The problem is when you change a player, they are never happy,” he conceded.
Ferdinand expressed surprise at the Chelsea manager’s decision to shift focus away from Madueke’s outburst, suggesting he nearly excused the behaviour. He light-heartedly remarked that such diplomatic skills are why managing isn’t in his future, since his direct approach would lead straight to a fine.
He elaborated: “That’s where the manager comes in. I think the manager protecting him is mad. And that’s why I couldn’t be in there [as a manager] because I couldn’t come out and play the game where you say, ‘Yeah he was in the wrong but [he’s a good kid]’. Fined, that’s a two-week fine.”
