Kepa Arrizabalaga has released a statement explaining his behaviour, following the bizarre controversy at the end of Sunday’s EFL Cup final.
Chelsea lost on penalties to Manchester City, but the match will ultimately be remembered for the incredible scenes shortly before the shootout.
Having gone down injured with cramp, Kepa was set to be replaced by Willy Caballero, only for the former to vehemently claim he was fit enough to stay on.
Player power appeared to take over, with a furious Maurizio Sarri almost walking down the tunnel in anger.
Kepa did himself no favours during penalties, allowing a tame Sergio Aguero effort to creep under his body, as the Blues eventually lost.
After the game, the 24-year-old received endless criticism, with many taking Sarri’s side.
The Chelsea manager did played down the incident, however, and Kepa himself took to Twitter to release the following statement:
— Kepa Arrizabalaga (@kepa_46) February 24, 2019
It was a quite remarkable incident in an entertaining final, but ultimately, Chelsea walked away empty handed.
It remains to be seen what the defeat means for Sarri’s future, although that may become clearer in the coming days.
