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Fernandez agent slams 'unfair' ban and says Chelsea star will 'explore options'
Tom Weber
- 3 Apr 2026 18:25 BST
- 5 min read
News
Javier Pastore, the agent of Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, has blasted the club for handing his client a two-match suspension amid ongoing links to Real Madrid.
The Argentina international has been making headlines for weeks. After Chelsea were dumped out of the Champions League by PSG, Fernandez refused to commit his long-term future to the club.
Then, while on international duty, he fuelled the rumour mill by revealing that he would like to live in Madrid one day. This was taken as a clear hint, as he has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid, who are believed to be his preferred destination this summer.
At 25, Fernandez is at the peak of his powers and determined to win major trophies. That is why he joined Chelsea, but the club has been unable to deliver so far. The humiliating defeat to PSG was eye-opening for a lot of members of the squad, including the midfielder.
Chelsea, of course, didn't take too kindly to Fernandez seemingly flirting with Real Madrid and announced today via head coach Liam Rosenior that he would be suspended for the upcoming games against Port Vale and Man City.
Pastore: Fernandez ban is "unfair"
However, this is not the end of the story. Approached by The Athletic for comment on the situation, Javier Pastore, the former PSG midfielder and current agent of Fernandez, slammed the club's decision to suspend the midfielder.
"Enzo didn’t understand the situation," Pastore began. "When the coach told him, he accepted it because he’s a highly professional guy who’s always fully committed wherever he is and respects decisions, but we don’t understand the punishment because he doesn’t mention any club or say he wants to leave Chelsea."
Pastore added: "The punishment is completely unfair - banning the player for two matches, which moreover are also absolutely crucial for Chelsea because qualification for the Champions League is at stake and he is one of the team’s most important players.
"Alongside others, of course, but he has proven himself this year to be a leader and a key player, the backbone of this Chelsea side. I think it’s far too harsh given Chelsea’s current situation, and there’s no real reason or justification for why he has been banned."
Pastore also confirmed that Chelsea attempted to hold contract talks with Fernandez and revealed that the offer they made was "unrealistic" and that the terms could have potentially left the player "unhappy" had he accepted.
"There have been talks about renewing his contract, yes," the former midfielder explained. "We started discussing it around December or January, but we couldn’t reach an agreement.
"As Enzo’s contract still has six years to run, we decided not to renew it because the terms weren’t right for us or for the player. Given what Enzo is capable of today, he deserves much more than he’s currently earning.
"We haven’t reached an agreement and it may be that this annoyed the club, given that he is a hugely important player, but these are things that have to be managed.
"I look at the sporting and financial aspects of the player’s situation, and I didn’t see that renewal coming to fruition because they weren’t very realistic about Enzo’s current situation.
"We felt that rather than renewing on terms that wouldn’t make the player happy, it was better to leave things as they are and focus on playing and performing well, as they have important objectives until May: qualifying for the Champions League.
Then came the kicker: "Our plan after the World Cup is to meet with Chelsea again and, if there is no agreement, to explore other options."
When asked if Fernandez wants to stay at Chelsea, Pastore evaded the question and suggested that the two-match ban is unlikely to have a positive effect on the player, reiterating that the decision "makes no sense."
Football transfer news headlines today
Chelsea Transfer News Today: Fernandez fuels Real Madrid speculation with another new interview
Arsenal Transfer News Today: Agent confirms Gunners are in 'pole position' to sign €100m wonderkid
Man Utd Transfer News Today: First signing of summer window confirmed
Transfer Rumours: Fernandez risks Chelsea wrath with new interview as Man Utd hit with Rashford blow
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