Filipe Luis has thrown his support behind Nicolas Jackson after the Chelsea striker’s latest red card during the Club World Cup defeat to Flamengo. Jackson was shown a straight red card just four minutes after coming off the bench in Chelsea’s 3-1 collapse on Friday night in Philadelphia.
The Senegalese forward replaced Liam Delap in the second half but lunged into Flamengo’s Ayrton Lucas in a reckless challenge that changed the game’s tone. Despite the mistake, Filipe Luis remains optimistic about Jackson’s potential. The Flamengo boss, who once played for Chelsea, called him a future global star.
Luis said he has no doubts about Jackson’s quality and claimed that one error doesn’t define the striker, describing the red card as “a small detail” in his journey. “I saw it in front of me and yes, for me, it was a red,” he said. “But he’s young, he’s good, and he has all the qualities needed to become one of the best.”
Jackson has faced criticism throughout his time at Stamford Bridge for inconsistent finishing and rash decisions in pressure moments. After the match, the 24-year-old issued a public apology on Instagram, admitting he “let the club, the staff, and the fans down.”
He wrote, “I still don’t fully understand how it happened. It wasn’t intentional. No excuses. I take full responsibility.” This red card marks Jackson’s second in four games, following a dismissal against Newcastle in May for elbowing Sven Botman.
The striker will now miss Chelsea’s final Group D game against ES Tunis, and possibly more if FIFA’s disciplinary panel decides to extend the ban. Luis, meanwhile, also heaped praise on Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca, calling the Blues the “most tactically perfect team in Europe” under his leadership.
The Brazilian manager admitted he struggled to sleep ahead of the tie, describing Maresca’s model as hard to prepare against due to its strategic depth. “It’s so difficult to play against his side,” Luis said. “Every player understands his role perfectly. That makes our win even more important.”
Chelsea’s loss has triggered further scrutiny of the team’s mentality and discipline as they aim for a deep run in the Club World Cup. But for Luis, Jackson’s error doesn’t cancel out the promise he still sees in the forward’s ability to become a dominant figure in world football.