Is Enzo Fernandez Chelsea’s worst-ever captain?

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was controversially given the captain's armband in Chelsea's 2-0 loss to Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

The decision to give Fernandez the captain's armband is unanswerable, as it comes just a month after the Argentinian midfielder posted a video containing an alleged racist chant.

The 23-year-old, who took a knee before kick-off in part of the Premier League's anti-discrimination campaign, was forced to apologise after uploading a video that mocked the heritage of some of France's players after Argentina won the Copa America.

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Chelsea teammate Wesley Fofana (from France) labelled the video "uninhibited racism" but has since claimed Fernandez is not racist and accepted his apology, according to ESPN.

According to The Independent, Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca was quick to defend the midfielder: "I can see his teammates recognise him like a captain. He is already a captain in pre-season. When we make a mistake, it is important to recognise it. Enzo did, and, in the end, it is finished."

A successful captain must embody what the club is about in all aspects, from the community to how the team plays on the pitch. Chelsea is a club that has done a lot of work around anti-racism in the last 20 years, and the Fernandez captaincy doesn't embody that spirit.

The Chelsea kit that Fernandez captained the side in against Manchester City features "a distinctive 'melting pot' pattern", that represents "the dynamic culture of London" and the club's "passionate, diverse global community."

Former Chelsea captain and club legend John Terry optimized what it meant to be a Chelsea player on the pitch, running through brick walls and taking responsibility for the team. However, Fernandez has been quite the opposite, as Gary Neville noticed yesterday.

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Neville hammered the £107 million ($139m/€125m) man with the same criticism that he gave Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, having spoken on Fernandez's poor attitude and arm waving when things don't go his way.

According to Football London, Neville said: "Enzo Fernandez presses when he can't win it a lot. He then throws up his arms to his teammates as if to say, 'Where were you?' He is not kidding anyone."

His poor attitude and lack of discipline are summed up perfectly by his stats in the Premier League since joining Chelsea at the start of 2023, having picked up more yellow cards (10) than goals and assists combined (7).

Three goals and four assists in one and a half seasons for Chelsea is poor reading anyway. However, for a player who cost £107 million ($139m/€125m), it shows he hasn't been good enough and shouldn't be the leader of the team.

Chelsea is in turmoil with over 40 first-team players at the club, and in this current situation, the club needs a role model or a leader to represent the club on and off the pitch. With the controversy Fernandez has created and his return on investment being extremely low, is the midfielder Chelsea's worst-ever captain?

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