Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has been handed a one-match touchline ban and fined £8,000 following his exuberant celebration during his team’s dramatic 2-1 Premier League victory over Liverpool on October 4.
The Football Association (FA) confirmed recently that the Italian tactician admitted to the charge of misconduct involving dissent and excessive celebration during the closing moments of the encounter at Stamford Bridge.
As a result, Maresca will miss Chelsea’s Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest this Saturday.
According to the FA, the Chelsea boss received his first yellow card earlier in the match for protesting a penalty decision. He was then shown a second yellow card deep into stoppage time after sprinting down the touchline to celebrate Estevão Willian’s stunning late winner, which sealed a much-needed victory for the Blues.
The win came as a major relief for Maresca, whose side had suffered back-to-back defeats before facing Liverpool. The result lifted Chelsea to sixth place in the league standings at the time and eased pressure on the under-fire coach.
Speaking to Italian media after the match, Maresca described his wild celebration as a spur-of-the-moment reaction, saying he had no regrets about his actions.
“It was an instinctive reaction,” he said. “In that moment, I couldn’t help it. Even if it cost me a suspension, it was worth it.”
The FA’s disciplinary action means Maresca will have to watch from the stands as Chelsea take on Nottingham Forest this weekend, a crucial test for the Blues as they look to maintain momentum after their emotional win over Liverpool.
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