Victor Boniface Banned In Germany, Chelsea Coach Says Raheem Sterling Won’t Play For Him

The German Football Federation has sanctioned Bayer Leverkusen forward Victor Boniface with a one-match ban and a €25,000 fine for unsporting behaviour.

The disciplinary action resulted from an incident in which Victor Boniface showed an offensive gesture to VFB Stuttgart players after the DFL Super Cup match earlier this month.

As a consequence, the 23-year-old Nigerian striker will miss an upcoming German Cup match, as confirmed by the DFB.

Meanwhile, Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca clarified that he does not hold personal issues with Raheem Sterling.

He, however, stressed that Sterling’s playing style does not align with the team’s strategy at Stamford Bridge. As a result, Sterling was not included in the squad for Chelsea’s recent fixtures and is not expected to feature in upcoming matches.

“I’ve been honest, he will have no minutes here”, coach Enzo Maresca told reporters earlier today, August 21 ahead of the club’s Europa Conference League match against Servette at 8 p.m. on Thursday, August 22.

“I am not saying Raheem is not a good player but I prefer different kinds of wingers. It’s simple.”

Also, Sterling has been relieved of his Number 7 shirt, which has been reassigned to new signing Pedro Neto for the current season.

Additionally, Joao Felix will take on the Number 14 shirt, a decision that followed discussions between head coach Enzo Maresca and Trevoh Chalobah who was wearing the shirt number.