Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has defended Wilfred Ndidi’s challenge on Cole Palmer during his side's 2-1 victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
The Super Eagles midfielder was shown a yellow card for his tackle on Palmer in the first half, which saw him make contact with the England international's right Achilles tendon.
Despite the seemingly dangerous nature of the challenge, referee Madley was not advised by VAR to review the incident for a potential red card to the outrage of a series of pundits.
As a result, Ndidi remained on the pitch against Chelsea and was eventually substituted in the 71st minute.
Maresca defends Ndidi's challenge on Palmer
Speaking immediately after the game, Maresca downplayed suggestions that Ndidi should have been sent off, while calling for harsher punishments for tackles involving bad intention.
“I think, as I said after the Manchester United game, when there is bad intention, there should be a different punishment from the referee. The Man United one [Lisandro Martinez on Palmer] had bad intentions,” he said as per Leicester Mercury.
“I'm not saying Wilf [Ndidi] had bad intentions because I love Wilf. But overall, when there are bad intentions, the punishment has to be different.”
When asked if Ndidi should have been sent off, Maresca replied, “I don’t think so. The other one, for me, is a red [card].
It is worth noting that before his appointment at Stamford Bridge in June 2024, Maresca was the manager of Leicester City, where he played a pivotal role in guiding the club's promotion to the Premier League, with the Nigeria international being an integral part of his team.
