Philadelphia [US], June 21 : Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson apologised to fans for his reckless challenge on Flamengo's Ayrton Lucas, due to which he received a red card during their Club World Cup 3-1 defeat at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
After Pedro Neto's 13th-minute strike powered Chelsea to a 1-0 lead, Flamengo retaliated in the second half with two quick-fire goals in a span of three minutes. Chelsea's hope to script a comeback faded into thin air after Jackson was shown a red card.
In the 68th minute, with high studs, Jackson caught Ayrton's foot and was shown a red card in the aftermath of the challenge. He took to social media to apologise to Chelsea fans and stated that he is "angry" at himself for his actions that were not intentional.
"I want to say sorry. To the club, the staff, my teammates, and all the fans watching, I let you down. Another red card and honestly, I'm so angry at myself. I work hard every day to help the team not to put us in this kind of situation. I still don't fully understand how it happened. But one thing is clear: it wasn't intentional," Jackson wrote on Instagram.
"Just a football moment that went the wrong way. No excuses. I take full responsibility. I'll reflect, I'll grow, and I'll come back stronger for the badge and for everyone who believes in me. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry," he concluded.
Flamengo went on to find the back of the net once again through Wallance Yan in the 83rd minute to end the contest with a 3-1 victory. Following the defeat, Chelsea dropped to the second spot with three points.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca reacted to Jackson's red card and said, as quoted by Sky Sports, "It was a red card, so nothing to say."
However, Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella defended Jackson for his action and said, "It is a bit of bad luck. He tried to put his foot in to kick the ball but he kicked the player's leg. That's it. We now miss him for the next game. He is a young player with a lot of quality, and maybe he needs to improve this. We are not perfect, it's part of the game."
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