Liam Rosenior, the head coach of Chelsea, has accused Arsenal of displaying disrespect in the warm-up prior to their Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg match at the Emirates Stadium.
Prior to the match, Rosenior was visibly upset and was seen on Sky Sports confronting members of the Arsenal staff, yelling: “That’s your half – that’s your ***** half. ***** stay there.” Ultimately, Chelsea was eliminated from the tournament, losing 4-2 on aggregate.
Footage from a broadcast revealed that an Arsenal coaching staff member entered Chelsea's half of the pitch during warm-ups, a move that Rosenior noted interrupted his team's preparations.
In comments made on Thursday during an interview with Sky Sports, the Chelsea manager clarified that his frustration was aimed not at Arsenal’s players, but rather at what he characterized as a breach of proper conduct in football.
“It wasn’t the players,” Rosenior remarked. “I’m respectful. When you warm up, you have your half and the other team has theirs. I’ve never instructed my team or my coaches to invade the opponent’s side.”
He further elaborated that Arsenal's actions disrupted Chelsea's normal routine. “At that moment, I felt they were in the wrong area. It was impacting my players’ and staff’s warm-up. I perhaps asked them, not in the politest manner, to remain in their designated half.”
Rosenior assured that there was no intention of psychological gamesmanship involved, emphasizing that his response was solely about maintaining respect. “I’m not here for mind games. It’s simply about what I feel is right. There are certain etiquettes in football, and I strive to be as respectful as possible.”
Despite the incident, Rosenior downplayed any ongoing issues with Arsenal, commending their manager. “I have no issues with anyone at Arsenal. They have a wonderful manager. Mikel Arteta is someone I hold in high regard.”
He concluded by reiterating his stance: “It was just that, in that moment, I felt that respect was not shown to my team.”
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