Enzo Fernandez says an encounter with a young Chelsea supporter “touched his heart” after he ran on the pitch during celebrations of their Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund.
The midfielder, 22, had just helped Chelsea to a 2-0 victory that sent the Blues into the quarter-finals of the competition.
After seeing his side secure back-to-back wins for the first time since October, a young fan ran on the pitch in floods of tears in an effort to meet Chelsea’s record £107million signing.
Before stewards could whisk him away, the youngster spoke to Fernandez and got hold of his match-worn shirt, leaving an impression on the Argentina World Cup winner.
He said of the incident: “It touched my heart when the boy ran out to come and see me. He came and asked for my shirt. It was such a special moment because he wanted to see me and he gave me a quick hug.
“It made me feel even more connected with the fans. I love getting to know the fans and the trust that they have in me is incredible. I feel at home.”
The scenes were captured by photographers and drew a largely positive reaction on social media, one person tweeting: “The best thing I have seen today,” while another said: “This is why Argentina are the deserved World Cup champions.”
Chelsea will, however, be concerned about a fan invading the pitch and reaching a player before security could intervene.
They already saw the match delayed by 10 minutes due to fans blocking Dortmund’s team bus from arriving, alongside seeing flares lit inside and outside the stadium by both sets of supporters.
English football has also committed to introducing tougher sanctions for pitch invaders after several high-profile incidents in recent months and years.
Having been taken away by stewards, the boy’s parents risk a Football Association ban following the implementation of new measures.
