Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca confirmed on Thursday that attacker Pedro Neto will decide whether he will play in the quarterfinals of the club World Cup against Palmeiras, while the Portuguese international mourns for the tragic death of his good friend and teammate Diogo Jota.
Jota, a Liverpool attacker, and his brother was killed on Thursday morning in a car accident in northwestern Spain when their Lamborghini walked off the road and caught fire.
Neto, deeply affected by the loss, was apologized for training, but chose to stay with the team in Philadelphia.
«It’s a difficult moment. You feel helpless,» said Maresca in a press conference. «Pedro is more than sad, and we are all there to support him. Every decision he makes – whether it will play or not – is the right one, and we will fully support him.»
Pedro Neto (second from the left) and Diogo Jota (extreme right) of Portugal joke with the team before the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 match against Slovenia. | Photocredit: Getty images
Pedro Neto (second from the left) and Diogo Jota (extreme right) of Portugal joke with the team before the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 match against Slovenia. | Photocredit: Getty images
The potential absence of Neto adds a low uncertainty for Chelsea, who is preparing for a Palmeiras side with the 18-year-old winger Estevao Willian, a player who joins the blues after the tournament.
Estevao was signed last year for a first 34 million euros, with add-ons that possibly brought the deal to 67 million, according to British media.
The teenager admitted that the move was an emotional distraction.
Read also: Chelsea signs Joao Pedro from Brighton for the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals against Palmeiras
«It was difficult to balance the emotions of playing my last games for Palmeiras, while I also think about my future in Chelsea,» Estevao said earlier this week.
Maresca, however, rejected suggestions that the approaching transfer of Estevao could influence Chelsea’s preparations.
Estevao (center) of Palmeiras plays against his future club in the quarterfinals of the club World Cup, but Chelsea has sustained that the transfer will have no effect on the game. | Photocredit: Getty images via AFP
Estevao (center) of Palmeiras plays against his future club in the quarterfinals of the club World Cup, but Chelsea has sustained that the transfer will have no effect on the game. | Photocredit: Getty images via AFP
«When we prepare for games, we prepare for the team, not for one player,» said Maresca. «Estevao is now a Palmeiras player. I have never spoken to him, although I have met his family. This is not the time to discuss the future.»
The Chelsea manager also praised Brazilian football and emphasized his respect for the South American giants.
«I have always respected Brazilian football; I didn’t need this match to understand how good they are,» he said. «Palmeiras has demonstrated their quality and will continue to do so.»
Chelsea stands for an important challenge in Palmeiras, who went to the neighborhoods with a 1-0 extra time victory over Botafogo. With Neto’s participation uncertain and Estevao who want to leave his mark before leaving for London, the quarterfinals promises to be a moving meeting.
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