Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has been handed a one-match touchline ban by England’s Football Association after receiving his third yellow card of the season during Sunday’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Fulham. The 45-year-old Italian coach was cautioned for his exuberant celebrations following Pedro Neto’s stoppage-time winner at Craven Cottage.
The suspension means Maresca will be absent from the dugout when Chelsea host Everton at Stamford Bridge this weekend in a crucial Premier League clash. Assistant manager Willy Caballero, the former Chelsea goalkeeper, is expected to take charge of sideline duties for the match.
Maresca’s previous bookings this season came in matches against Newcastle and Bournemouth. He will be eligible to return for Chelsea’s following home game against league leaders Liverpool on May 4.
Sunday’s last-gasp victory moved Chelsea into fifth place – the final Champions League qualification spot – ahead of Nottingham Forest on goal difference. Forest can reclaim the position if they avoid defeat against Tottenham in Monday’s late fixture. The suspension comes at a delicate moment in Chelsea’s push for European qualification as the season enters its decisive phase.
The FA’s disciplinary rules automatically trigger a one-match ban for managers who accumulate three yellow cards during a campaign. Maresca becomes the fourth Premier League manager to serve such a suspension this season.
