LONDON, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has downplayed concerns for Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi, insisting his father's years as a fisherman represent a far tougher life than that faced by players in the club's so-called 'bomb squad'.
Maresca's remarks came after Chelsea held talks with the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) regarding the ongoing exclusion of Sterling and Disasi from his first-team group.
When asked about the pair training apart from the squad, the Italian said: "I've been in Raheem and Axel's situation as a player. For sure, I know it is not the best feeling for a player. For different reasons, the situation is the situation at the moment, but I know the club is giving them the situation to work in the right way."
Pressed on whether the situation was mentally difficult for the duo, Maresca replied: "My father is 75 years old and for 50 years he's been a fisherman, working from two o'clock in the morning till 10 o'clock in the morning. This is a hard life - not the way a player works."
The PFA remains in dialogue with Chelsea to ensure both players can maintain peak fitness despite being sidelined. FIFA regulations strictly prohibit treatment that could amount to 'abusive conduct', which may give a player grounds to terminate a contract on the basis of 'just cause'.
"When no solution is found, you give the player all the tools to train and do anything, but if you are not in the squad, you are not in the squad. It's not about Chelsea, it is about any club in the world," Maresca added.
Sterling, 30, was widely expected to leave Stamford Bridge this summer but still has just under two years left on his 325,000 pounds-a-week deal. Interest came from Juventus, Napoli and Bayer Leverkusen, yet he chose to remain in London to stay close to his family. Arsenal declined to pursue a permanent move for their former loanee, while Fulham looked elsewhere for wide options.
Disasi, tied to Chelsea until 2029, explored a loan return to Monaco but no formal bid arrived. Moves to Bournemouth, Sunderland and West Ham were also rejected by the French international or fell through before the transfer deadline earlier this month. ■
