Enzo Maresca defends late red card after Chelsea's dramatic win over Liverpool

What happened and why it mattered

Enzo Maresca, Chelsea's head coach, says he does not regret the red card he received during their Premier League win over Liverpool, insisting his emotions overwhelmed his restraint during a late winning moment by Estevao.

According to The Mirror, the Italian coach was sent off after an exuberant celebration following Estevao's late winner, after he had already been booked earlier. This means he will miss the next match against Nottingham Forest.

Maresca, speaking at a Treviso sports festival, via Gianluca Di Marzio of Sky Sport Italia, said: It was a moment of emotion. It is my second season with Chelsea, and it was the first time we won on our home turf in the dying moments. The sending-off? Football is often driven by passion and instinct; I may not have had time to think, it was a reflex, but I believe it deserved it.

The red card meant assistant coach Willie Cabayero took over media duties after the match, and Maresca will serve a one-match ban, missing the bench against Forest.

Last season’s meeting with Forest ended differently, as Levi Colwill scored to seal a Chelsea victory at City Ground, a result that highlighted how quickly fortunes can swing in the Premier League.

Since then, Forest sacked their manager Nuno Espirito Santo and appointed Ange Postecoglou, who is enduring a tough patch after failing to secure a win in his first month in charge. Postecoglou acknowledged the fans’ outcry following a defeat in the Europa League to Me5teland, saying the crowd has the right to express opinions, but his duty is to help the team win and improve, even if the atmosphere isn’t positive toward him at the moment.

Chelsea sit seventh in the league table before Saturday's match, with a chance to climb into the Champions League places if results go their way, while Forest hover at seventeenth, under threat of relegation if they lose and other results go against them.

An exciting coach in the making

Enzo Maresca was born in Ponticino, Italy in 1980 and began his playing career with Cagliari before moving to England with West Bromwich Albion in 1998, becoming one of the early Italian players to test themselves in English football. Despite his youth, he drew attention for his tactical awareness and deep midfield understanding, which attracted interest from major Italian clubs.

In 2000 he joined Juventus, competing for a midfield slot with stars such as Edgar Davids and Pavel Nedved. After loan spells with Bologna and Piacenza in search of more minutes, he moved to Fiorentina in 2004. In 2005 he joined Sevilla, where he formed part of a successful period under manager Juande Ramos, contributing to a golden era that included two UEFA Cup titles (2006, 2007) and the 2006 UEFA Super Cup. He was renowned for penalties and his ability to control tempo from deep, securing a lasting place in Sevilla’s memory.

His career then took him to Olympiakos, Malaga, Sampdoria and Verona before ending his playing days at Verona in 2017. Upon retirement, Maresca shifted to coaching, working with Manchester City under Pep Guardiola and later leading Parma in Serie B during the 2021-2022 season, before returning to Guardiola's staff. In 2023 he took the helm at Leicester City, guiding them to the Championship title and a swift return to the Premier League, before Chelsea appointed him in 2024 to lead a project built on possession and development from the back. His arrival at Chelsea marked him as one of the brightest rising coaches in European football, with high expectations for the future.

Punchline time: If football really runs on emotions, Maresca just filed a patent for high-octane passion. And if you think that red card was dramatic, wait until the post-match press conferences—the paparazzi will need sunglasses one day, too. Punchline number two: they say a coach’s job is to keep the team on track; Maresca just showed that sometimes the track is a little too exciting for the conductor’s own taste.