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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca lambasted the two-hour weather delay that interrupted his team’s Club World Cup victory over Benfica on Saturday, calling into question the suitability of the tournament’s U.S. location.
Chelsea advanced to the quarter-finals with a 4-1 extra-time win after a match that spanned 4 hours and 39 minutes due to a prolonged stoppage caused by a storm warning.
It marked the sixth match at the tournament disrupted under U.S. safety protocols, which mandate the suspension of outdoor events if there is a risk of lightning in the area.
“It’s Not Football”
Following the match, Maresca voiced his frustration, suggesting the frequent delays are incompatible with top-level football.
“For me personally, it’s not football,” Maresca said. “It’s already six games they’ve suspended here. I think it’s a joke. It’s not football.
“It’s completely amazing, something new that I struggle to understand. I get that for safety you have to suspend the game, but if you’re stopping seven or eight matches, maybe this isn’t the right place for the competition.”
Chelsea had appeared to be cruising to victory after Reece James curled in a free-kick to give them a 1–0 lead with four minutes remaining in regulation time.
However, a lightning alert forced the players off the pitch, and it took nearly two hours before the game resumed.
Maresca lamented the interruption, which he felt shifted the momentum and altered the match’s rhythm.
“It was one of the best performances of the last few weeks,” he said. “The game was very good for 85 minutes, then we stopped for two hours. When we restarted, it was a completely different game. You break the tempo—it’s not the same match.”
Support for the Competition, Not the Conditions
Despite his criticism of the weather delays, Maresca reaffirmed his support for the Club World Cup as a concept. This year’s edition, the first to feature 32 teams, is being staged across the United States in what is seen as a trial run for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“It’s a fantastic competition. It’s the Club World Cup—all the best clubs are here,” he said.
“But six or seven games suspended? That’s not normal. In a World Cup, how many games are suspended? Probably zero. In a European Championship? Zero. There’s clearly a problem.”
(with AFP inputs)
