Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca fumes after two-hour Club World Cup weather delay – ‘It’s a joke! It’s NOT football!’ | Football News

Enzo Maresca Fumed after Chelsea’s Club World Cup Game Against Benfica Took Nearly Five Hours to Complete Due to a Weather Delay, Describing the situation as “a joke” and “not football”.

The Premier League Side Eventually Ran Out 4-1 Winners after Extra-Time in the Last-16 tie in Charlotte, Which was suspended for almost Two hours due to a thunderstorm.

Chelsea Had Been Just Four Minutes Away from Victory Following Reece James’ Stunning Free-Kick when the Players Were Taken Off the Field and Fans Were Told to Vacate the Seating Bowl at the Bank of America Stadium.

The Players Were pictured Riding EXERCISE BIKES AND KICKKING BALLS in the DRESSING ROOM DURING THE ENDORCED BREAK, But, when play Eventually resumed, Benfica benefited from the Break and Forced Extra-Time with a controversial angel di maria penalty.

The game swung back in chelsea’s favour after the portuguee giants had gianluca prestianni feel off and Christopher nkunku gave them a decisive lead. Breakaway Goals from Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall Wrapped Up the Win.

Storms have now caused six games, All Held in Different Cities, To be Sushed During the Tournament and Maresca Went on To Suggest the Usa was not the right place to host the Competition.

“For 85 minutes we were in control of the game,” Maresca Said.

“After the Break, the game changed completely. For me it’s not football. It’s Already Seven, Eight, Nine Games that they suspended.

“I think it’s a joke to be honest, it’s not football. It’s not for us. You cannot be inside. I Struggle to understand. I Can Understand that for Security Reasons, You Suspend the game. But if you suspend seven, eight games, that means that probably [this] is not the right place to do this Competition. “

On the Break, He Added: “It’s a Joke. That’s why I Said It. If they’ve already suspended six games, probably there is something that is not working. I’m not here to decide the rule. I’m no one to decide the rule. Manager.

“There is some problem for me personally. But I’m not Talking – I’m Talking As A Manager. Becuses when you are two hours inside and you try to Keep them in the game, but for two hours, they are speaking with the family outside for safety reasons.

“They are eating something, they are playing, they are Laughing. How can you keep them two hours inside, Focused? Then we are happy. We are happy to be here. We are happy to this compretion. But it’s something that it’s not normal for.”

Despite the Difficult Circumstances, Maresca was proud of his team for their extraordinary, weather-hit win to reach the club world cup quarter-final, where they will now face Brazilian Side Palmeiras.

Maresca Told DAZN: “I’m very proud. The performance for me was top until the last five minutes when they stop the game, and when we restarted [it was] A Completely a Different Game.

“When you are inside for more than one hour it’s not easy but, 1-1, we continue to play and, at the end, i think the reward was one that we deserve.”

“We are in the last Eight Teams here in this Competition and we are very happy.”

‘It was about recovery’

Skipper blues Reece James Praised His Side’s Resilience, Explaining How He and his Team-Mates Dealt With The Long Delay in Charlotte.

James Said: “We’ve come a long way. It’s difficult to be so close to the end of the match and then have a kick in the teeth.

“To pick Yourself up, Brush Yourself Down and Score a Few Goals probably Shows How Far We’ve Come, and Everyone has played apart.

“It was very difficult game with a lot of interruptions. The climate was the best, the pitch was the best, it was hard to play, and we got 85 minutes, and we stopped for a long period of time.

“It takes a lot out of the players to cool down and then restart that Engine Again, but we have happy we go the job done.”

On the Delay, He Added: “It was about Recovery, Keeping the Legs Going on the Bike, Listening To Some Music To Keep the Vibes Going, and we Did Well in Extra-Time to Score the Goals We Did.”

A Competition Hit by Delays …

This match has not been the only fixture hit by the extreme weather in America this summer.

On Friday, The Match Between Benfica and Auckland City in Orlando was Delayed for Nearly Two Hours due to a lightning story in the area. The game was suspended at half-time.

Then on tuesday, also in orlando, the referee took the ulsan hd and mamelodi sundowns players back to the dressing room. The Match Was Delayed for More Than an Hour Due to the Threat of Lightning.

The was an even bigger delay in cincinnati when a thunderstorm halted red bull salzburg’s clash with pachuca for more than 90 minutes.

New Jersey Also Saw A Match Sushed. Palmeiras and Al Ahly Had a Delay of 50 minutes due to lightning near metlife stadium ..

How the Delay Unfolded…

Here’s How the Delay, Which LASSED ALMOST Two Hours, Unfolded in OUR LIVE COVERAGE OF CHELSEA’s Win …

10.52pm (BST) – 86: Not Again … The play has stopped! With some Dark Clouds Looming, the referee has been advised to head off the pitch. Safety First of Course. But you can see some frustrated chelsea faces who felt they were edging to victory …

10.58pm – Sky Sports News’ Chief correspond Kaveh Solhekol: “There are dark Clouds over the stadium now and it looks like thatir way. Fans are sensibly Starting to the competitions as the stadium doesn’t have a roof.”

11.10pm – ‘Severe Weather in the Area, Seek Cover’ is the message on the big screen at the now empty bank of America Stadium. Fans have disappeared into the contests – and maybe home. Players are back in their dressing room.

11.12pm – A FIFA Stament Reads: “Due to adverse weather Conditions in Charlotte, Including the Risk of Lightning in the Vicinity of Bank of America Stadium, The Fifa Club World Cup Between SL Benfica and Chelsea Fc Has Been Sushed.

If it’s 30 minutes from the point of the suspension, then we could be back in 10 minutes. Fingers Crossed …

11.21pm – Some suggestions that play could resume at 11.35pm but not confirmation yet. After a suspension of this length, the players are given a 10-minute window to warm-up before getting back under way.

11.25pm – No Confirmation of Play Resuming. That 11.35pm Target is Starting to look ambitious. FIFA RULES SAY A 30 Minute Window Without Lightning is Needed for Play to Resume. The Clock is Reset in the Event of Lightning. A reminder that benfica’s group Game Against Auckland City Had an opposing weather delay of over Two hours.

11.52pm – It’s now one health since the players was off … The Wait goes on.

12.06am – Hats off to any fans at the Bank of America Stadium who are Sticking It Out! A long old Wait for oven minutes of play …

12.20am – Sky Sports News’ Chief correspond Kaveh Solhekol: “Fans in the Stadium Have Just Been Told Over the Pa that the game will not restart unit Notice. We Better Get use to these delays because the World Cup Will Be here Next Year at the same time of Year.”

12.41am – We not not off Two Hours Sale Play was suspended. It’s around three hours and 40 minutes since the game kicked off. But what’s this?! Dazn Are Showing Players Coming Back Out Onto The Pitch to Warm Up. It looks like we back! Fingers Crossed!

12.46am – a decent number of fans are coming back out to their seats at the bank of America stadium. Fair Play! The referee is preparing the players to get back under way.

12.48am – 86: We’re back! Now, where Were we? The Referee Gets Us Back Under Way, Two Hours Later!

Who do Chelsea Play Next?

Chelsea Will Face Brazilian Side Palm trees In the last eight, kicking off at 2am on saturday at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.