Chelsea's interim manager Calum McFarlane has declared that the persistent leaking of team news 'needs to stop' after a recent incident involving defender Marc Cucurella's barber revealed key player absences on social media. Speaking ahead of Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Leeds, McFarlane confirmed the issue has been addressed with the squad.
The leaks have plagued Chelsea in recent weeks, most notably before their midweek defeat at Brighton, where a post on X (formerly Twitter) from Cucurella's barber disclosed that Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer would miss the match. The post was quickly deleted, but the damage was done. Similar leaks occurred before both legs of Chelsea's Champions League last-16 loss to Paris St-Germain.
'It's been addressed and was addressed previously,' said McFarlane, who was promoted from under-21s manager to Liam Rosenior's staff before taking temporary charge after Rosenior's sacking. 'It is something we looked into and it needs to stop. We spoke to them about the importance of that and making sure it doesn't happen again.'
The 38-year-old takes over a Chelsea side that has lost momentum, with Rosenior criticizing the attitude of his players after the Brighton defeat, stating only 'three or four' showed the required 'attitude, spirit and determination.' McFarlane acknowledged the team's recent poor form but remains optimistic. 'Everyone at the club feels responsible – the players know that, the staff know that. Recent form has not been good enough, but a lot of football is about momentum. We have had a losing streak, but that can change with one positive result.'
Chelsea face Leeds at Wembley on Sunday, aiming to turn their season around.