
Football will always be the 90 minutes — it will rise above the noise
The honour, what it meant to the club in terms of unity and confidence, its impact financially and commercially, the confirmation of a business model, its worth as a sign on the road. Then we could explore its significance to individuals: to the head coach, Enzo Maresca, to the owners, the many heads of recruitment. Chelsea have been accused of stockpiling talent. With the Club World Cup triumph they can counter that it was a successful coping strategy for a season that would begin on August 18, 2024 and, if done right, end on July 13, 2025.
Then we could move on to individuals such as goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, who, in one match, turned around or at least challenged the majority of opinions about his talent. We could proceed through the team that way. The instant impression made by João Pedro and Liam Delap, confirmation that room must be found in England's starting XI for a player with Cole Palmer's unique skillset, Marc Cucurella's growing claim to be the best left back in the world.
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