Enzo Maresca responds to threat of PFA action over Raheem Sterling & Axel Disasi treatment with 'hard life' warning

The Professional Football Association (PFA) has reached out to Chelsea - having done the same to other clubs when similar situations have played out - in a bid to make sure that Sterling, Disasi and Co are being treated properly.

They are working away from the rest of the Blues’ first-team squad, but still have access to training ground facilities - just at a different part of the site. With that in mind, Maresca considers there to be no issue for Chelsea to address.

The Italian tactician told reporters when asked about the mental health of those that find themselves frozen out: "My father is 75 years old and for 50 years he has been a fisherman, working from 2 o’clock in the morning until 10 o’clock in the morning. This is hard in life, not a player, the way they work.

"I have been in Raheem and Axel’s situation as a player. For sure, I know it is not the best feeling for a player because you want to train, you want to play a game. For different reasons, the situation is the situation. I know that the club is giving them the opportunity to work in the right way.

"It is not just Chelsea, it’s any club in the world. I can promise you Italy, Spain, England, France, USA, Brazil. When for any reason the club and player doesn’t find a solution, you give the player all the tools to do the training session, everything. If you are not involved in the squad, you are not involved in the squad."

Sterling has not made a single appearance for Chelsea since Maresca took charge in the summer of 2024. He took in a loan spell at Arsenal last season, while Disasi spent time with Aston Villa after tumbling down the pecking order in west London.

The PFA acts as a trade union for current and former footballers. They project the rights of players, while pushing for correct working conditions and negotiating better terms. The PFA provides a wide range of support services - including educational training, legal advice and wellbeing support - and has the power to influence decisions made by governing bodies.

The PFA will only get involved at Chelsea, in the case of Sterling and Disasi, if the Blues are considered to be acting out of line. Maresca’s comments appear to suggest that two high-earning stars are merely being overlooked, with the door being left open for them to find new challenges in the next transfer window.