Coach Enzo Maresca went crazy after Chelsea's 5-hour match

Chelsea coach frustrated because too many matches were postponed. Photo: AP

Early this morning, Chelsea beat Benfica 4-1 in the round of 16 after extra time. The blue team took the lead thanks to Recce James, but Di Maria equalized for Benfica in the 90+5 minute. Entering extra time, Gianluca Prestianni received a yellow card, forcing the Portuguese team to play with 10 men from the 92nd minute and completely collapsed. Chelsea easily scored 3 consecutive goals in the 108th, 114th and 117th minutes to advance to the quarter-finals.

Despite the win, coach Enzo Maresca was not satisfied with the organization of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The match between Chelsea and Benfica was suspended in the 86th minute due to a thunderstorm warning in Charlotte. Initially, the organizers announced that the match would resume at 5:35 (Vietnam time). However, it was not until 6:50 - nearly 2 hours after the postponement - that the players were able to return to the field. By this time, most of the fans at Bank of America Stadium had already left.

Speaking after the victory, coach Enzo Maresca said indignantly: “It was a joke. It was like two matches when they stopped for 2 hours. After such a long break, the game changed completely. I think this is not football. There were 7, 8 matches that were stopped in the middle, and everything was like a joke.”

Coach Enzo Maresca stressed that he had no problem with the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, but felt some of the venues were unsuitable. “I understand that the match had to be postponed for the safety of everyone,” he added. “However, the fact that so many matches had to be postponed shows that this is not the right place to host this tournament.”

“Please don’t get me wrong. The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is a fantastic tournament. Chelsea are delighted to be involved and to have reached the quarter-finals. But the problem is that so many matches have been postponed, in just two weeks. This is not normal. Remember how many matches were postponed in the World Cup and EURO?”

“For coaches, it’s a disaster. When the game is stopped for two hours, players can’t concentrate anymore. They have to contact their families outside the stadium to see how they are, if they have eaten… How can teams maintain their rhythm and concentration?”

A Phi

Source: https://tienphong.vn/hlv-enzo-maresca-noi-dien-sau-tran-dau-keo-dai-5-tieng-cua-chelsea-post1755748.tpo