At Chelsea, things often don’t make much sense. The team has 44 players on its roster yet continues to buy more in the transfer market. With no clear vision in sight, the club keeps making head-scratching decisions.

According to ESPN, all seems to be forgiven in the case of Enzo Fernandez. Despite being unfollowed by French teammates on Instagram and facing huge backlash over a video where he and his Argentine teammates mocked French players because of their ethnicity, Fernandez appears to have found favor again.

In a recent friendly against Real Madrid, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca gave Enzo Fernandez the captain’s armband and seems to have promoted him to vice-captain of the squad.

Enzo Fernandez: From Villain to Leader at Chelsea

The atmosphere around the former River Plate player changed significantly, according to The Times. Just over a week after his return to Chelsea (when there was even speculation about Fernandez possibly being transferred), he was chosen by his teammates as vice-captain, behind Reece James.

Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea FC warms up prior to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg match between Real Madrid and Chelsea FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 12, 2023 in Madrid, Spain.

“He’s one of the important players. To be honest, I think when we changed Reece, he gave the bracelet [captain’s armband] to Enzo, and this shows how Enzo is respected inside the squad. I think it’s quite clear,” Maresca stated after the game. 

Maresca added, “I spoke with Enzo, but as I said, I spoke with all of them. The situation is quite clear. He already made a statement apologizing, and the club did the same.”