Chelsea's manager Enzo Maresca has stood by his choice to appoint Enzo Fernández as captain during the team's preseason match against Real Madrid, asserting that Fernández commands respect within the squad.

Fernández, who wore the armband for the second half of the 2-1 loss to Real Madrid, was given the role despite recent controversies surrounding him.

Following Argentina's Copa América victory, Fernández faced backlash after posting a video featuring a racist chant, which included derogatory remarks about some French players.

This incident led to Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana labeling the video as "unrestrained racism," prompting the club to issue a statement denouncing Fernández's behavior.

Despite this, Maresca emphasized that Fernández's leadership is clear and well-regarded among his teammates.

The Argentinean has since apologised for the video and Maresca has defended Fernández' actions saying he had "no bad intentions."

Following the decision to give Fernández the captaincy, Maresca said: "He's one of the important players.

"To be honest, I think when we changed Reece, he gave the bracelet [captain armband] to Enzo and this shows how Enzo is respected inside the squad. I think it's quite clear."

When asked if he felt team spirit could be affected by the fallout from Fernández's controversy, Maresca said: "I don't think so to be honest.

"I spoke with Enzo but as I said, I spoke with all of them. The situation is quite clear. He did already a statement apologising, the club did the same so."

Chelsea will face Inter Milan on Sunday in their last preseason match before they kick off the 2024-25 Premier League season against Manchester City.