Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson has issued an apology to the club and its fans after receiving a red card during the team’s 3-1 defeat to Brazilian side Flamengo on Friday evening in the FIFA Club World Cup.
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Flamengo staged a dramatic second-half turnaround to secure the win, moving them three points clear of second-placed Chelsea at the top of Group D.
Chelsea initially took the lead in Philadelphia when Pedro Neto opened the scoring. The ball kindly broke for the Portuguese winger on the halfway line, allowing him to race away and calmly slot past Flamengo goalkeeper Rossi for his second goal of the tournament.
Trailing by one goal at the break, Filipe Luís’s Flamengo made a purposeful start to the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. Gonzalo Plata narrowly missed an early chance, before forcing Robert Sánchez to tip over a rising strike. While Plata couldn’t find a way past the Chelsea goalkeeper himself, he provided the crucial header across goal for Bruno Henrique to tap home from close range, sparking wild celebrations among Flamengo supporters.
With momentum firmly in their favor, the Brazilian giants quickly took the lead through experienced defender Danilo. The former Juventus man applied the finishing touches after Henrique powerfully headed down a deep corner.
Chelsea’s miserable period was dramatically compounded when substitute Nicolas Jackson was given his marching orders for a dangerous tackle on left-back Ayrton Lucas, just minutes after conceding two goals.
Any doubt about the final result was quashed when Wallace Yan netted a late third, sealing a sixth consecutive win for Flamengo and bringing an end to the Blues’ four-game winning run.
After the game, Jackson took to social media to post his apology:
“I want to say sorry. To the club, the staff, teammates, and all the fans watching, I let you down. Another red card and honestly, I’m so angry at myself. I work hard every day to help the team, not to put us in this kind of situation.
“I still don’t fully understand how it happened, and one thing is clear: it wasn’t intentional. Just a football moment that went the wrong way. No excuses. I take full responsibility. I’ll reflect so I’ll grow, and I’ll come back stronger for the badge and also for everyone who believes in me. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.”
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca stated in his post-match press conference that the red card will not affect Jackson’s future.
“Six minutes changed the game,” Maresca said. “In the second half, we started better compared to the first half. But we conceded two goals in two minutes and then the red card. It changed the dynamic.
“They deserved to win. Nico apologised. At Newcastle, we were just 1-0 down and it was in the first half. Today, we were 2-1 down but with half-an-hour left. There was time to play, but with one man down it became all the more difficulties.
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