Mauricio Pochettino has called on Chelsea fans to support the team after Raheem Sterling was booed during the FA Cup victory.
The Blues beat Leicester City 4-2 in the FA Cup in added time thanks to goals from substitutes Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke. The Foxes came back from a two-goal deficit, but defender Callum Doyle was sent off in the second half. Things might have been easier for Chelsea if Sterling had converted a first-half penalty or a one-on-one with Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk. Some Chelsea fans also booed the star winger during the match due to his poor free-kick performance.
Pochettino spoke on this subject to BBC Sport after the match: “We have to support him, he’s an extraordinary player. He has over 10 years of experience in the Premier League. Of course, I think his contribution was good. He was a little unlucky on certain actions where he should have scored. But we are a team and we have to be there for everyone.
“Respect my decision”
“Supporters have the right to show their emotion. As far as we are concerned, we try to insist to our supporters not to criticize. They want the best for our team and our players. But we are in a project. We need support and to really believe in it. We are trying to build something. »
“We are in the process of building the team. I know very well how to manage the team. What the fans want is to win the match and we did that. What they want is to go to Wembley and we did that. They have to trust me to manage the team in the way I think is best for the club. We must respect their opinion as much as they must respect my decision. »
