Maresca slams Club World Cup format ahead of semi-final lash with Fluminense

NEW YORK: Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca continued his scathing criticism of the Club World Cup format on Monday, citing scheduling, weather, and player fatigue as major concerns ahead of his team’s semi-final showdown with Brazil’s Fluminense.

Despite guiding Chelsea to the last four, Maresca remained one of the competition’s harshest critics. He expressed frustration over the searing heat, a packed fixture calendar, and what he sees as an unfair advantage for South American clubs.

“It is not that we don’t see this tournament as important,” Maresca said. “It’s that teams have arrived in two completely different situations. We’ve played 63 games; how many have the Brazilian team played in their season?”

Maresca, who watched his side beat Palmeiras after losing to Flamengo earlier in the tournament, accused FIFA of poor planning, especially referencing a nearly two-hour weather delay in the round-of-16 match against Benfica. He insisted the tournament’s structure needs improvement, though he acknowledged some aspects had been well-managed.

Praising the quality of Brazilian football, Maresca warned of Fluminense’s threat: “Brazilian players have probably the best quality, and the energy gap is obvious. They are in midseason form, and we are running on fumes.”

Despite the criticism, Maresca reaffirmed Chelsea’s desire to win the title, though he made it clear changes are needed for future editions of the tournament.