The editors of the match of the day had to make a change because of the Chelsea player
The BBC has been forced to remove Enzo Fernandez from the opening montage of Match of the Day. The Argentinian featured in the show’s intro, set to the iconic theme tune from earlier in the season.
Fernandez was still a Chelsea player at the time, while he was heavily linked with a reunion with Enzo Maresca at Manchester City. The midfielder finally got his wish and left Stamford Bridge for City in a deal worth an English record £125m before the transfer deadline.
Chelsea had originally set August 14 as the deadline for clubs to submit a bid for Fernandez. But with that coming and going, City then made another late move, leading to tense negotiations over a fee before an agreement was reached.
The transfer caused a headache for the Match of the Day editors, who dropped Fernandes from his title streak in the Chelsea outfit and replaced him with another ex-Blues player, Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
In light of recent events, Fernandez may question the wisdom of his move after City were found guilty of all but one of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League.
The Etihad club, which continues to deny any wrongdoing and is appealing the verdict, faces serious sanctions, including possible expulsion from the Premier League, penalty points and a hefty fine.
Despite the verdict, “City” remained on the front foot. In announcing its appeals, the club called the ruling an “opinion” that was “consisting of manifest errors of materiality, law, principle and fact and was dangerous.”
Their statement added: “The club is innocent of the allegations made by the Premier League and there is a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence to support all of its positions in this case.
“We will continue to respect due process, and until all processes are complete, what we can say further will be strictly limited.”
Meanwhile, the Football Association said it was “carefully considering” the findings’ implications for City. An FA statement said: “The independent panel’s decision has significant implications for the integrity of the game. We are carefully considering the decision and its implications and will take action where appropriate.
“As proceedings between the Premier League and Manchester City Football Club are ongoing, we do not intend to comment further at this stage. However, we will continue to monitor developments closely.”
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