‘It’s disrespectful, Maresca is protecting him’ – Rio Ferdinand calls for fine on Chelsea star

Manchester United legend, Rio Ferdinand has called for Chelsea winger Noni Madueke to be given a two-week fine after his ‘disrespectful’ act against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

Madueke started the match on the right wing at Stamford Bridge but Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca opted to replace the England international with Mykhailo Mudryk shortly after Gabriel Martinelli put the Gunners ahead.

Madueke, however, was visibly angry by the Maresca’s decision and stormed straight down the Stamford Bridge tunnel moments before Pedro Neto’s equaliser that gave Chelsea a point.

And Ferdinand is not pleased with Madueke’s action as he also suggested that Maresca was protecting him at his post-match interview.

Speaking on the development, Ferdinand said 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’

“And I understand his thinking but at the same time, I don’t understand why you are doing that.”

He added, “That is 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.”