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James OlleyJun 20, 2025, 07:21 PM ET
PHILADELPHIA -- Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson apologised to his teammates and the club's fans aft picking up his 2nd reddish paper successful 4 matches arsenic the Blues lost 3-1 to Flamengo astatine the Club World Cup.
Pedro Neto gave Maresca's broadside a 13th-minute pb successful Philadelphia but six second-half minutes changed the crippled arsenic Bruno Henrique equalised earlier Danilo enactment the Brazilian broadside successful front.
Jackson, connected moments earlier arsenic a substitute, past lunged successful connected Ayrton Lucas to gain a consecutive reddish paper earlier Wallace Yan added a precocious third.
"I privation to accidental sorry. To the club, the staff, my teammates, and each the fans watching, I fto you down," Jackson wrote connected Instagram.
"Another reddish paper ... and honestly, I'm truthful aggravated astatine myself. I enactment precise hard each time to assistance the squad not to enactment america successful this benignant of situation. I inactive don't afloat recognize however it happened. But 1 happening is clear: it wasn't intentional. Just a shot infinitesimal that went the incorrect way.
"No excuses. I instrumentality afloat responsibility. I'll reflect, I'll grow, and I'll travel backmost stronger for the badge and for everyone who believes successful me. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry."
Flamengo are present apical of Group D and successful rod presumption to unafraid archetypal spot portion Chelsea look Esperance Sportive de Tunis connected Wednesday without Jackson, who volition service a minimum one-game suspension.
He could beryllium banned for longer if FIFA take to reappraisal the incident.
Jackson was besides sent disconnected against Newcastle past period for a likewise reckless situation and Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said: "It happened against Newcastle and it happened today. Probably contiguous I americium not 100 percent definite it's a reddish paper compared to the Newcastle one. So it's a small spot of a atrocious infinitesimal for Nico successful this benignant of things. Unfortunately present helium volition beryllium retired for a while, the clip that we are here.
Maresca rejected the proposition that Jackson's disciplinary issues were linked to the long-trailed accomplishment of chap striker Liam Delap -- a £30 cardinal summertime signing from Ipswich Town -- which provides caller contention for his position.
"The reddish paper had thing to bash with Nico's future," said Maresca. "He had the archetypal 1 against Newcastle erstwhile Liam was not adjacent present and different 1 today. Nico knows precise good that successful some situations it was not thing bully for the team.
"Six minutes changed the game. In the 2nd half, we started amended compared to the archetypal half. But we conceded 2 goals successful 2 minutes and past the reddish card. It changed the dynamic. They deserved to win."
Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella warned Jackson helium has to code his behaviour.
"He's precise sad," said Cucurella. "He tried to triumph the ball, had the atrocious luck that helium kicked his limb and that's it. He's a young subordinate with a batch of prime but possibly needs to amended a small spot successful these things.
"But helium has to learn. After the manager spoke, helium said sorry, helium didn't bash it connected purpose. He's a precise important subordinate for us, we miss him the adjacent crippled but this is football."
