"It was very difficult" – Fernandez lifts the lid on why his first 18 months at Chelsea were a struggle
Yesterday at 05:00 AM
Enzo Fernandez has revealed why he found his first 18 months at Chelsea very difficult and that he wasn't satisfied with his performances.
Fernandez arrived at Chelsea from Portuguese side Benfica for a then British record of £106m in January 2023, and stood out in Graham Potter's struggling Chelsea side.
The 23-year-old endured a difficult campaign last season as Mauricio Pochettino struggled to find a way to get the best out of him, whilst he was also playing through a hernia issue, before missing the final six games to undergo surgery.
Fernandez on difficult first 18 months at Chelsea
The World Cup winner has opened up on his early struggles at Stamford Bridge and revealed why he found the first 18 months so difficult.
"When I arrived it was very difficult, the first year and a half here, change of coaches, the club wasn't doing well, personal injuries," he told ESPN as cited on X.com.
"I was not satisfied with what I had been showing, then I got injured, many adverse things happened, I tried to move forward but today I feel very good, as does the team and we hope to continue on this path."
After a difficult summer in which he was caught up in a racism incident after Argentina won the Copa America, Fernandez endured a mixed start to the season before losing his place to Romeo Lavia for the trip to Liverpool in October.
The midfielder spent four games on the bench before returning to the starting line-up against Leicester after the November international break and hasn't looked back.
Fernandez has started every league game since and is playing the best football of his Chelsea career to date, and he recently explained what he likes about his new role under Enzo Maresca.
Martin Keown described Fernandez as unrecognisable following his recent form and the Argentina international has three goals and three assists in his last six league games.
The Blues will be hoping Fernandez continues his good form against Fulham on Boxing Day as they look to get back to winning ways.
