Share

Neville: Chelsea should sack whoever sold Matic

Cape Town - Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville believes the person at Chelsea who is responsible for selling Nemanja Matic should be sacked.

The Blues have struggled to keep up with Manchester City and Manchester United in the Premier League this season, and suffered a devastating 3-0 defeat to Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday.

When asked what is going wrong at the defending Premier League champions, Neville stated that the decision to sell Matic to United was the main catalyst for their dip in form.

"What's gone wrong for Chelsea? One word. Matic," Neville told BBC 5Live.

"It's as simple as that. The minute they sold Nemanja Matic was a mistake.

"When you had Matic sat in front of you, alongside (N'Golo) Kante, there was protection. Whoever made that decision needs sacking. That is one of the poorest decisions I have ever seen in the Premier League.

"If you ask any of those Chelsea players who they would want back, they would say Matic. Chelsea replaced him with someone who is going to do the same job – (Tiemoue) Bakayoko is not that player, he is not a holding midfield player.

"They didn't replace Matic. I wouldn't have let him out of the building, I would have chained him to the training ground walls."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1271 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1469 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE