Chelsea Coach Enzo Maresca Banned for One Match After Goal Celebration
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has received a one-match touchline ban following his over-the-top celebration during a dramatic 2-1 Premier League win over Liverpool on October 4. The Italian will miss Chelsea’s upcoming trip to Nottingham Forest this Saturday.
In addition to the ban, Maresca has been fined £8,000 ($10,685). The Football Association confirmed that he openly admitted to the misconduct. During the Liverpool match, Maresca was yellow-carded for protesting a penalty decision, and then received a second caution in the sixth minute of stoppage time for running down the touchline and wildly celebrating Estevao Willian’s late angled winner.
The win ended Chelsea’s two-match losing streak and lifted the team to sixth place in the Premier League, helping Maresca avoid the pressure of a third consecutive defeat.
Speaking to Italian media, Maresca described his celebrations as “an instinctive reaction”, adding that the moment had been worth it, even if it meant risking a sending-off.