Chelsea Have Fined Kepa Arrizabalaga For His Refusal To Come Off In Carabao Cup Final

Chelsea have confirmed Kepa Arrizabalaga is to be fined one week's wages following his refusal to be substituted in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.

In the latter stages of extra time in what was a pretty dire cup final at Wembley, massive drama ensued when the Chelsea No.1 went down with cramp on more than one occasion late on.

Feeling that Kepa could not continue, Willy Caballero was stripped and ready to come on against his former club. What's more, the fourth official had the board prepared.

But much to the anger of Maurizio Sarri, who probably needed about 20 packs of cigarettes to calm himself down later on, the 24-year old Spaniard was adamant he wanted to stay on and got his way.

After disobeying his manager's orders, Kepa will donate a week's worth of wages to the Chelsea foundation. Kepa, the most expensive goalkeeper in football history after his £71 million summer move from Athletic Bilbao, is said to earn around £190,000-per-week.

In an article on Chelsea's official website, both Kepa and Sarri have issued statements on the matter.

"Although there was a misunderstanding, on reflection, I made a big mistake with how I handled the situation," Kepa said.

"I have done this and now I want to offer the same apology to the fans. I will learn from this episode and will accept any punishment or discipline the club decides is appropriate."

Sarri, meanwhile, revealed Kepa apologised to him and now considers the incident to be over and done with.

Image: PA

"Kepa realises he made a big mistake in the way he reacted," the Italian commented.

"He has apologised to me, his team-mates and the club. It is up to the club if they want to discipline him according to the club rules, but for me this matter is now closed.

"The team performance as a whole was extremely positive and it is a shame to see how this incident has overshadowed our efforts in what was a very competitive cup final."

Is this punishment necessary for Kepa? Sound off in the comments.

Topics: Manchester City, Willy Caballero, Football News, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Kepa, Maurizio Sarri, Chelsea, Football, Carabao Cup final, Wembley Stadium

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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