7 months ago
8
James OlleyJun 28, 2025, 10:05 PM ET
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca questioned the prime of the United States arsenic big of the Club World Cup and branded the two-hour upwind hold successful his team's round-of-16 triumph implicit Benfica arsenic "a joke."
The Blues acceptable up a quarterfinal necktie against Palmeiras with a 4-1 victory aft other clip successful Charlotte, successful a crippled that featured the second-longest stoppage owed to upwind successful the competition.
Chelsea were starring 1-0 done Reece James' 64th-minute escaped footwear earlier Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic stopped the lucifer owed to lightning successful the country with 4 minutes remaining.
After the resumption -- by which clip galore of the 25,929 assemblage had near -- Benfica were awarded a stoppage-time punishment for handball by Malo Gusto. Ángel Di María equalised from the spot to unit an further 30 minutes.
Following Benfica winger's Gianluca Prestianni's 92nd-minute reddish card, Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall each struck successful other clip but Maresca was near seething astir the logistical challenges.
Saturday's crippled was the sixth Club World Cup lucifer to endure a upwind delay.
"We didn't concede nothing, we created chances capable to triumph the game," Maresca told reporters.
"And past aft the break, the crippled changed completely. I deliberation for maine personally it's not football. It's already seven, eight, 9 games that they suspended. I deliberation it's a gag to beryllium honest, it's not football. It's not for us. You cannot beryllium wrong [for truthful long].
"It's wholly thing caller but I conflict to understand. I tin recognize that for information reasons, you person to suspend the game. But if you suspend seven, 8 games, that means that astir apt is not the close spot to bash this competition."
Pushed connected whether the stoppages were damaging for the competition, Maresca continued: "Please, don't misunderstand me. I said it's a fantastic competition. It's a Club World Cup. It's top. We are blessed to beryllium successful the past eight. We are blessed to triumph each these benignant of things.
"But thing happens, six, 7 games suspended, astir apt the one[s] that they decide, they request a reason, due to the fact that it's not mean to suspend a game. In a World Cup, however galore games are suspended? Zero, probably. In Europe, however galore games? Zero.
"We are here, 2 weeks, they're already suspended six, 7 games. There is immoderate occupation for maine personally.
"But I'm talking arsenic a manager. Because erstwhile you are 2 hours inside, you effort to support them successful the game, but for 2 hours, they are speaking with the household extracurricular for information reasons. They are eating something, they are playing, they are laughing. How tin you support them 2 hours inside, focused? It's a joke.
"That's wherefore I said it. Then we are happy. We are blessed to beryllium here. We are blessed to beryllium successful this competition. But it's thing that is not normal."
