MAURICIO Pochettino defended Raheem Sterling from the Blues boo boys after last weekend’s late show against Leicester City in the FA Cup quarter-final – but admitted he accepted Stamford Bridge supporters expressing their anger after the home side’s struggles against their Championship opponents.
Chelsea led 2-0 at half-time after goals from Marc Cucerella and Cole Palmer either side of Sterling’s penalty miss.
But the atmosphere turned toxic after Axel Disasi scored an own goal on 51 minutes and Stephy Mavididi equalised eleven minutes later.
Sterling had been fouled by Abdul Fatawu in the 25th minute. Chelsea’s regular penalty-taker Cole Palmer had the ball, before Sterling appeared to convince his team-mate to hand over responsibility. Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk saved Sterling’s effort.
Callum Doyle was sent off seventeen minutes from time for taking down Nicolas Jackson who was through on goal. Sterling fired the free-kick over and was booed again.
However, a potential mutiny was avoided when substitutes Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke scored in the 92nd and 98th minutes to send Chelsea through.
Home fans had also jeered Pochettino’s decision to replace Mykhailo Mudryk and not Sterling in the 78th minute, before cheering when Sterling went off for Madueke four minutes from time.
Pochettino said it was up to Palmer and Sterling who took the spot-kick.
“Raheem asked for the ball for the penalty and Cole gave the ball,” Pochettino explained. “You saw on the TV but that is not a problem.
“Cole can miss, Raheem can miss. For me, [it is] their decision and I will always support the decision of my players on the pitch.
“It’s obvious that I cannot hide nothing. You are like me, the feelings weren’t good for [Sterling] but I am going to support him, we are all going to support him.
“We need to accept. It doesn’t mean we agree or not agree but we have to accept because our fans, all the fans in football live expectation and want the best for the club, the best for the players.”
Pochettino was asked if he felt it was right that fans should boo their own players.
He replied: “We need to accept, you know, we need to accept, we need to accept the situation.
“I hope next game our fans be always unconditional behind the team…and yes, I’m not going to criticise the fans never because I think they are entitled to say what they want.”
