Nicolas Jackson apologizes.

Striker Nicolas Jackson faced a wave of criticism after receiving a red card in Chelsea's 1-3 defeat to Flamengo on the morning of June 21st.

The second shock at the FIFA Club World Cup: In the early hours of June 21st, Chelsea lost 1-3 to Flamengo in the group stage of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™.

After the game, Jackson posted on his personal account: “I want to apologize to the club, the coaching staff, my teammates, and all the fans who watched the game. I let you down. I got another red card, and honestly, I’m very angry with myself. I work hard every day to help the team, not to put us in this situation.”

"I still don't fully understand what happened. But what's clear is that my tackle wasn't intentional. It was just a moment when the ball went in the wrong direction. There are no excuses. I take full responsibility. I will reflect, I will grow, and I will come back stronger for the shirt and for everyone who believes in me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he continued.

Jackson was brought on by the Chelsea manager in the 65th minute to replace Liam Delap, after the team had just conceded an equalizer to Flamengo. He was expected to bring new life to the attack. However, in less than four minutes, the Senegalese player rendered all of manager Enzo Maresca's efforts meaningless.

After Chelsea conceded the second goal, Jackson made a studs-up tackle on Flamengo's left-back, Ayrton Lucas, targeting his shin. The referee immediately showed the Chelsea star a red card. Former player Jon Obi Mikel couldn't hide his disappointment: "A stupid mistake. The team needed Nicolas, but he betrayed that trust."

Sharing Mikel's sentiment, many fans also expressed their anger. "Get rid of Jackson," "He's not good enough to play for Chelsea," "He played his last game for Chelsea" were some of the criticisms directed at the Senegalese player.

Following a wave of harsh criticism regarding Jackson, defender Marc Cucurella had to speak out: “Nicolas is very upset. He was trying to win the ball, but unfortunately kicked the opponent's leg, that's all. Nicolas is a very talented young player, but perhaps needs to improve a bit in these situations. But he has to learn. After the coach spoke to him, he apologized, saying it wasn't intentional. He is very important to us, we will miss him in the next game, but that's football.”

Source: https://znews.vn/nicolas-jackson-xin-loi-post1562564.html