UEFA CL: Chelsea manager defends Mamadou Sarr after exit

Chelsea manager, Liam Rosenior has jumped to the defence of Senegal defender, Mamadou Sarr after their UEFA Champions League knockout phase loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

Sarr was deployed at an unfavorable right-back position in his debut Champions League game against the Ligue 1 giants, a match the Blues lost 3-0 to complete an 8-2 aggregate defeat at the Stamford Bridge.

The former Strasbourg centre-back found life quite difficult in his new role, causing a blunder that led to PSG’s opener in the 6th minute by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

He was eventually replaced by Josh Acheampong in the 46 minute but that notwithstanding, Liam Rosenior believes Mamadou Sarr gave his best on the evening.

Chelsea manager defends Mamadou Sarr

“Mamadou played in that position for me and he was exceptional in matches against PSG. I thought his experience and knowledge of the players would be useful.

“When you’re a player and you make a mistake that early on, the evening can quickly turn into a nightmare. These are decisions you want to make and you want to get right.”

“And at that moment, Mamadou made a mistake, which complicated things for the evening because it gave PSG confidence,” said Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior.

The 20-year-old Senegalese defender will look to brush aside the setback and focus on Chelsea’s next English Premier League game at Everton after their Champions League elimination.

Sarr played three matches as Senegal recorded a 1-0 score line to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, however the Confederation of Africa Football [CAF] has overturned the decision to award Morocco the title.

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