Chelsea’s poor discipline cost Europe spot — Interim manager McFarlane

Chelsea's failure to qualify for European competition this season was significantly impacted by their dismal disciplinary record, according to interim manager Calum McFarlane. The Blues concluded the Premier League campaign in 10th place after a 2-1 defeat at Sunderland on the final day, ending their slim hopes of securing a European berth.

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It’s definitely an issue, it’s definitely a problem. I think we’re by far the team that’s got the most red cards in the league.

In McFarlane's final game in temporary charge, Chelsea finished with 10 men after defender Wesley Fofana received a second yellow card in the 61st minute. Fofana's dismissal marked the eighth red card for Chelsea in the Premier League this season, a statistic McFarlane acknowledged as a major issue. "It’s definitely an issue, it’s definitely a problem. I think we’re by far the team that’s got the most red cards in the league," he stated, contrasting Chelsea's record with that of league winners Arsenal, who reportedly had no red cards.

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Pretty sure if you look at Arsenal, for example, who have won the league, I don’t think they had one red card.

McFarlane believes the high number of dismissals hindered the team's performance and stressed the need for improvement next season. Despite the team's struggles, he expressed optimism about the future under incoming manager Xabi Alonso. McFarlane asserted that the squad possesses significant quality and has shown flashes of potential, capable of competing with top European teams when performing consistently. He believes Alonso, who takes over on July 1, will inherit a talented group that can achieve more than they did this term.

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It doesn’t help having that many red cards. It’s definitely something we need to look at and improve for next year.