Nicolas Jackson Apologizes After Club World Cup Red Card

Nicolas Jackson received a red card in Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat to Flamengo at the Club World Cup in Philadelphia. The red card — his second in four recent matches — came after a dangerous tackle on Ayrton Lucas.

Pedro Neto gave Chelsea the lead in the 13th minute, but the situation changed dramatically in six second-half minutes — Bruno Henrique equalized before Danilo put Flamengo ahead.

Through an Instagram post, Jackson stated:

“I want to apologize to the club, staff, teammates, and all fans. I let you down. I work hard every day to help the team, not to create situations like this. Though unintentional, I take full responsibility.”

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca responded: “This happened against Newcastle and today. Perhaps this time I’m not 100 percent sure it’s a red card compared to the Newcastle incident.”

• Chelsea now sits in Group D
• Team will face Esperance Sportive de Tunis next Wednesday
• Jackson faces potential extended suspension if FIFA reviews the incident

Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella added that Jackson is still young and has much quality, but needs to improve his self-control on the field.