Latest news with #Maresca
The Hindu
a day ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Club World Cup 2025: Blues win on Palmer power
Under the searing New Jersey sun, Chelsea stunned Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) 2025 on July 14 (IST), beating the UEFA Champions League winner 3-0 at MetLife Stadium to win the first edition of FIFA's revamped competition. The United States hosted its first major FIFA tournament since the 1994 World Cup. For the final, there was a real sense of occasion at MetLife Stadium, with the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline and President Donald Trump in attendance among a crowd of 81,118. There was even the first-ever half-time show at a FIFA tournament, adding a Super Bowl vibe. PSG's dominance undone Going into the match, PSG was the overwhelming favourite to lift the title. The French side was eyeing a fourth major title of the season and had been ruthlessly majestic on its way to the final. It defeated Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in the round of 16, dispatched Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals, and demolished Real Madrid in the semifinal. But having been three goals ahead midway through the first half in the semifinal, this time the roles were reversed as PSG found itself 3-0 down by the break. Chelsea employed a simple high-press strategy, sticking some classic long balls over the top of the European champion's defence. It was a masterclass in counter-attack from Enzo Maresca's side to take home a jackpot of almost USD 125 million. When Maresca arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2024, he was welcomed by a divided Chelsea fanbase. Still, the Italian ended his first season having secured Champions League football, a UEFA Conference League trophy, and now the title of Club World Cup champion. Chelsea's journey to the club football summit was marked by strong performances, a favourable draw, and the mid-tournament acquisition of an 80 million USD striker (Joao Pedro). It overcame LAFC, ES Tunis, Benfica, Palmeiras, and Fluminense to reach the final, bouncing back despite a 3-1 group stage loss to Flamengo. Maresca outwits Enrique To defeat PSG's previously irrepressible team represents a spectacular achievement for a Chelsea side that had been largely unfancied before the start of the tournament. Cole Palmer was the hero of the night for the Premier League club and went on to win the Player of the Tournament award. The 23-year-old bagged a brace and set up another for Joao Pedro as the Blues became the first English side to lift the trophy twice after winning the 2021 edition. Cole Palmer (centre) scored a brace in the final. | Photo Credit: AFP Having played on the left of Chelsea's attack and as a drifting No. 10 this season, Palmer started on the right flank as Maresca looked to expose a chink in the armour of Luis Enrique's side. The selfless running of striker Pedro and wing-back Malo Gusto was integral to Palmer's punishing performance — either running in behind to create space or pushing to that flank to ensure there were bodies around him. The Parisian side was uncharacteristically disjointed throughout the match, with its stars failing to make an impact. Maresca's tactical prowess was evident as he expertly outmanoeuvred Enrique. Chelsea's defence, anchored by a five-man backline, employed a low block to effectively stifle PSG's normally free-flowing attack. Adding to Chelsea's heroics, goalkeeper Robert Sanchez delivered a world-class performance, making a series of crucial saves that repeatedly thwarted PSG's attempts to get back into the game and dashed any hopes of a comeback for the French giant. A glimpse into football's future Since a Clearlake Capital-led consortium acquired Chelsea from Roman Abramovich for USD 3.2 billion in May 2022, the club has invested nearly USD 1.89 billion on over 45 players across six transfer windows. This period has been tumultuous for the London club, but the CWC win suggests Chelsea may finally be heading towards a more consistent future. In the end, the final of a season-ending tournament boasting a USD 1 billion prize pool encapsulated the state of the game in 2025. This was a clash between a club backed by a Qatari sovereign wealth fund, and another owned primarily by an American private equity firm — two of the three highest-spending clubs in global football over the past decade.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Alan Shearer makes Chelsea title prediction and tips Man Utd transfer target to leave
Chelsea ended Enzo Maresca's first season as head coach on a major high, finishing in the Champions League places, winning the UEFA Conference League and then winning the FIFA Club World Cup with a magnificent final victory over Paris Saint-Germain Alan Shearer insists you'd have to be "very, very brave" to back against Chelsea being involved in the Premier League title race this season - as he hailed Enzo Maresca for the "magnificent" job he has done at Stamford Bridge. The Italian coach, who arrived in west London last summer after leading Leicester City to the Championship title, came under widespread scrutiny last season - with his past relationship with Pep Guardiola, having worked as a coach at Manchester City previously seeing him cruelly being dubbed 'Diet Pep' in some quarters. But Chelsea finished the 2024-25 campaign strongly, finishing in the Champions League places, winning the UEFA Conference League and then brushing aside European champions Paris Saint-Germain with a magnificent final display to win the FIFA Club World Cup. Impressively, Maresca has done that while club chiefs continue to spend big in the transfer market on adding more young talent to the Premier League's youngest squad. Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and £60m striker Joao Pedro have all already arrived, while a number of players - including Noni Madueke and Christopher Nkunku - are set to depart. Maresca, vocally backed by Cole Palmer after the win over PSG in New York, has been working on ironing out his side's inconsistencies and getting his side, tactically and mentally, to a point where they can challenge the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City in a title battle again - and not just cup competitions. And former England captain Shearer believes the Blues boss may well have done just that. "I think it would take a very, very brave person to say that Chelsea would not be involved in the title hunt next year because of what they've achieved this season, what they've just achieved [winning the Club World Cup], who they've signed, who they will sign,' Shearer said on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football. "I think you have to say that they will be involved in the title race." Speaking about Maresca and the Club World Cup final, Shearer added: "It was a masterclass from Maresca because PSG went in, their football has worked all season and why not? Why should they change anything? "But I think the little tweaks from Maresca, they're pressing high and all those things, and I just think it worked perfectly for them and he deserves huge credit, not only for the job he's done in this competition, but for the whole season. "I don't think anyone knew what to expect because you know what happens at Chelsea, it's happened before: if you don't win things, you know exactly what happens. "You're in there for a reason and know how it's going to work. He's done a magnificent job, he really has." One player who could also depart in the coming weeks, potentially, is Nicolas Jackson. The Senegal striker was Maresca's main man last season, but has been sent off twice in recent months and has seen both Joao Pedro - who made an outstanding start to life as a Blue in the USA - and Liam Delap arrive at the club. Now the former Villarreal forward is being linked with a move away, with Manchester United monitoring his situation as they continue to look for a new No.9 and suggestions Chelsea could deal for around £50million. Shearer admits: "As soon as [Joao] Pedro came in and scored the two goals and Delap's already there, if there's one person that's going to be shifted out then my guess it would be Jackson. "It wouldn't surprise me if they've already offered him to other football clubs and they've enquired about it." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Chelsea's CWC triumph a ‘statement', but at what cost?
While Chelsea competed in draining weather conditions, rivals have enjoyed extended off-season breaks 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. The Cole Palmer-inspired 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain at the MetLife Stadium outside New York was Chelsea's 64th game of a season which lasted 11 months. By any measure it was one of Chelsea's best ever campaigns, with their Club World Cup triumph — placed on a par by Maresca to winning the Champions League — following victory in the UEFA Conference League and a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League. Maresca, an ex-assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, could not have asked for much more after arriving off the back of leading Leicester City to promotion. 'It has been a fantastic season but I am especially happy for the players,' said the Italian, who has succeeded in putting together a coherent team out of the endless line of new signings being brought in by the club's owners. 'We have said many times that talent alone is not enough. You need to find a way for them to all fit together.' It all represents considerable progress from just two years ago, when the Stamford Bridge side finished in the bottom half of the Premier League. Maresca incorporated more new faces during the Club World Cup, with Joao Pedro making a remarkable impact — the Brazilian forward cut short a holiday to complete a £60 million ($79 million) transfer from Brighton and Hove Albion, and went on to score twice in the semi-final against Fluminense and once in the final. Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Andrey Santos all joined up ahead of the month in the United States, while Jamie Gittens has since arrived from Borussia Dortmund and fellow winger Estevao Willian now joins from Palmeiras in Brazil. Chelsea will hope those signings, added to a squad led by the likes of Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, can make a real push for the Premier League title off the back of their impressive triumph at FIFA's new tournament. 'It's a big statement,' captain Reece James told English media shortly after lifting the trophy alongside US President Donald Trump. 'I'm happy with how much the club has progressed and how next season you know we'll be competing in the Premier League, to win the title and compete, and to go far in the Champions League as well.' Shorter off-season 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 holiday 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? — AFP
Metro
2 days ago
- Sport
- Metro
Alan Shearer rates Chelsea title chances and predicts £48m star will leave
Alan Shearer has credited Enzo Maresca with doing a 'magnificent' job at Chelsea and believes the club have to be considered a genuine Premier League title contender for next season. The Blues picked up where they left off after ending last season on an almighty high, sweeping aside Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday's one-sided Club World Cup final to secure a second trophy in the space of just two months. Stamford Bridge bosses have also put down a marker in what has been a busy start to the transfer window, with Jamie Gittens, Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Dario Essugo and Mamadou Sarr signing on the dotted line in west London. Finding a high-class goalkeeper to replace Robert Sanchez remains a priority for the summer, while the likes of Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and Axel Disasi could all be set for the exit door over the coming weeks. There were some doubts amongst the fanbase as Chelsea experienced a drastic decline in results across a difficult winter period last season, in which Maresca's men went on a miserable run of just three wins in 12 matches. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. But just six months on, there are plenty of reasons for supporters to be cheerful again – and legendary ex-England striker Shearer is backing the club to be a genuine force when the Premier League returns. 'I think it would take a very, very brave person to say that Chelsea would not be involved in the title hunt next year because of what they've achieved this season, what they've just achieved [winning the Club World Cup], who they've signed, who they will sign,' Shearer said on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football. 'I think you have to say that they will be involved in the title race.' Ignoring Chelsea's dip midway through last season, Shearer was been massively impressed with the club's transformation since Maresca took over the reins from Mauricio Pochettino. Reflecting on Chelsea's 3-0 win over PSG, Shearer said: 'It was a masterclass from Maresca because PSG went in, their football has worked all season and why not? Why should they change anything? 'But I think the little tweaks from Maresca, they're pressing high and all those things, and I just think it worked perfectly for them and he deserves huge credit, not only for the job he's done in this competition, but for the whole season. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'I don't think anyone knew what to expect because you know what happens at Chelsea, it's happened before: if you don't win things, you know exactly what happens. 'You're in there for a reason and know how it's going to work. 'He's done a magnificent job, he really has.' Speaking ahead of the Club World Cup final, Shearer predicted Nicolas Jackson's days at Chelsea were numbered following the recent arrivals on Delap and Pedro from Ipswich and Brighton respectively. The former Newcastle forward reiterated his point once again after Chelsea's triumph in New Jersey, saying he wouldn't be shocked if the club had already been offering the Senegalese out to rival teams. It's understood Chelsea would be prepared to do business for Jackson should they receive an offer of €55-60million (£48-52m) this summer. He added: 'As soon as Pedro came in and scored the two goals and Delap's already there, if there's one person that's going to be shifted out then my guess it would be Jackson. 'It wouldn't surprise me if they've already offered him to other football clubs and they've enquired about it.' According to Shearer, Cole Palmer was the 'pick of the bunch' after scoring twice and assisting Pedro to put Chelsea out of sight against PSG at MetLife Stadium. 'To do it on that stage, to do it against those players who have been magnificent, PSG, and basically dominated Europe for the year…' Shearer – the Premier League's all-time top scorer – said of Palmer's performance. 'We've spoken so much about PSG's midfield and everything else and how brilliant some of their players have been and rightly so, but he [Palmer] was the pick of the bunch by an absolute mile. 'I thought he was absolutely outstanding.' Will Chelsea challenge for the title next season? For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Arsenal star Leandro Trossard responds to Bayern Munich transfer approach MORE: Gary Lineker tops BBC salary list again with over £1,300,000 paycheck after controversial exit MORE: Man Utd consider surprise move for Chelsea star with Liverpool also admirers
IOL News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Chelsea's Fifa Club World Cup triumph 'a big statement', but what might be the cost?
Captain Reece James and Joao Pedro celebrate Chelsea's Fifa Club World Championship final victory over Paris St Germain. Picture: AFP Image: AFP 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. The Cole Palmer-inspired 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain at the MetLife Stadium outside New York was Chelsea's 64th game of a season which lasted 11 months. By any measure it was one of Chelsea's best ever campaigns, with their Club World Cup triumph -- placed on a par by Maresca to winning the Champions League -- following victory in the Uefa Conference League and a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League. Maresca, an ex-assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, could not have asked for much more after arriving off the back of leading Leicester City to promotion. "It has been a fantastic season but I am especially happy for the players," said the Italian, who has succeeded in putting together a coherent team out of the endless line of new signings being brought in by the club's owners. "We have said many times that talent alone is not enough. You need to find a way for them to all fit together." Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ It all represents considerable progress from just two years ago, when the Stamford Bridge side finished in the bottom half of the Premier League. Maresca incorporated more new faces during the Club World Cup, with Joao Pedro making a remarkable impact -- the Brazilian forward cut short a holiday to complete a £60 million ($79 million) transfer from Brighton and Hove Albion, and went on to score twice in the semi-final against Fluminense and once in the final. Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Andrey Santos all joined up ahead of the month in the United States, while Jamie Gittens has since arrived from Borussia Dortmund and fellow winger Estevao Willian now joins from Palmeiras in Brazil. Chelsea will hope those signings, added to a squad led by the likes of Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, can make a real push for the Premier League title off the back of their impressive triumph at Fifa 's new tournament. "It's a big statement," captain Reece James told English media shortly after lifting the trophy alongside US President Donald Trump. "I'm happy with how much the club has progressed and how next season you know we'll be competing in the Premier League, to win the title and compete, and to go far in the Champions League as well." 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 holiday 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? - AFP
