Youthful Chelsea ready for Thiago Silva reunion at Club World Cup
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Arab News
13 hours ago
- Arab News
Chelsea's Club World Cup triumph a ‘statement', but what might be the cost?
NEW YORK: For Chelsea, victory in Sunday's Club World Cup decider completed a fine first season under Enzo Maresca, and also finally brought the curtain down on a marathon campaign that they must hope does not catch up with them down the line. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Chelsea have also pocketed a stunning $115 million in prize money from the Club World Cup, but what if there comes a point in 2025/26 when their exploits of this season catch up with them? While Chelsea have been competing at the Club World Cup in draining weather conditions, Premier League champions Liverpool and runners-up Arsenal have enjoyed extended off-season breaks. Manchester City were also at the Club World Cup but they went out over a week earlier. Global players' union FIFPro has been the leading voices expressing concerns about the demands on the game's biggest stars in an ever-expanding calendar. One of the safeguards it proposed in a study published before the tournament was a mandatory four-week off-season break, along with four-week retraining periods before returning to competition. Chelsea's off-season is drastically reduced, with their first match of the next Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace slated for August 17, exactly five weeks after the Club World Cup final. They have a friendly against Bayer Leverkusen on August 8. 'Tomorrow I have three weeks of holiay which is all I want right now because I have not stopped in 15 months,' said Maresca on Sunday. It remains to be seen if Maresca and his players come back sufficiently refreshed before attacking a season in which they hope to go far in the Champions League, and which will end with the World Cup in North America. PSG face an even tighter squeeze after a historic campaign for Luis Enrique's team, capped by their triumph in the Champions League final. Their first competitive match of next season will be the UEFA Super Cup against Tottenham Hotspur in Italy on August 13, exactly one month after their defeat in New York — a chance to win more silverware, but at what cost?
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Al Arabiya
Electric Ella Toone lighting up England's title defense at euro 2025
England midfielder Ella Toone is back to her unbelievable best. Toone stole the show in Sunday's 6-1 thrashing of Wales at the Women's European Championship with a sensational first-half performance to propel the defending champion into the quarterfinals. The Manchester United star set up two of England's four goals in the first period and netted one of the others herself for her second goal of the tournament. 'I think she was unbelievable,' said England teammate Beth Mead. Toone also had an incredible 100 percent pass completion against Wales before being substituted off at halftime with the outcome a foregone conclusion and the defending champion's place in the quarterfinals guaranteed. 'Well I mean it might not have been 100 percent if I stayed on the second half but I'll take it' Toone said with a laugh. 'But I'm a number 10 I want to take risks I want to find passes that sometimes might not come off and I always think that it's okay to make a mistake. I feel really good at the minute feel really confident and really enjoying my football. So hopefully I can continue with that in the next games.' England will face Sweden in the quarterfinals on Thursday in Zurich – where the Lionesses played their first two matches of Euro 2025. The 25-year-old Toone is all but assured of a place in the starting lineup especially as England coach Sarina Wiegman normally avoids tinkering with a winning team in tournaments. Wiegman kept the same starting lineup for all six of England's matches in its triumphant Euro 2022 run and made only the one change after England opened its defense with a disappointing defeat to France. That was to bring Toone who had come off the bench against France in for Mead against the Netherlands shifting Lauren James to the right. England won 4-0. Mead herself had a sublime performance against Wales after coming off the bench at halftime with a goal and an assist as England wrapped up the scoring. 'That's the Beth that I saw in 2022 at the Euros when she took an extra touch in the box and sat a few defenders down and got a goal and I'm so happy for her' Toone said. But the 30-year-old Mead who was the Euro 2022 player of the tournament is likely to start again from the bench against Sweden. 'I think Tooney is really coming into her own and sometimes in situations where you feel a little bit low it brings you to the top of your game' Mead said. 'And I have completely felt that and done that before been in a tough place and come back … and she deserves everything she's getting right now because she has worked really hard for it.' Bonding over grief Mead and Toone have both lost parents since England lifted the Euro 2022 trophy. Mead's mother died from ovarian cancer in January 2023 while Toone lost her father to prostate cancer last September. Both players pointed to the sky after scoring on Sunday. 'We both said the first game we really struggled a little bit' Mead said. 'You look to the stands for your person who was standing there and they're not there anymore. I think my mum was the first person I would look for in the stands so I obviously understand what Ella felt in that moment and it's just special to be able to have that moment think about them and dedicate it to them.' Toone says she and Mead have really bonded over such a terrible thing and that her teammate has been a mentor to her as she understands what she is going through. 'I was buzzing for her that she got that tonight and we both could celebrate to the sky' Toone added. 'I am sure they will be up there with a few pints in their hand watching us.'
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Al Arabiya
Scuffle breaks out at Club World Cup final as Luis Enrique, Donnarumma confront João Pedro
A scuffle broke out after the end of the Club World Cup final on Sunday with Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma appearing to push Chelsea forward João Pedro. Chelsea upset PSG 3-0 to win the title scoring three first-half goals in a match that turned testy with a red card to PSG's João Neves for pulling down Marc Cucurella by his hair along with six yellow cards. Enrique was on the field near the center circle and appeared to push João Pedro on the throat. Donnarumma pushed the 23-year-old forward who fell over. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca moved away Donnarumma a fellow Italian. 'There is a lot of tension and a lot of pressure. ... There was a whole bunch of pushing going on,' Enrique said through a translator. Enrique said he was trying to separate the players. 'This was just the end result of the pressure from the match and I do not have anything else to add,' he said. PSG defender Achraf Hakimi had been gesturing at João Pedro and Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos. The awards presentation did not start until 30 minutes after the final whistle.
