A furious Enzo Maresca blasted Chelsea’s Membership World Cup victory over Benfica as ‘not soccer’, ‘not regular’ and ‘a joke’ as he questioned the USA’ suitability for internet hosting a serious summer time match – a yr earlier than FIFA convey the 2026 World Cup to America.
Maresca was livid with how within the 86th minute of their match, play was suspended for practically two hours because of lightning putting close by. It left the gamers twiddling their thumbs within the confines of the Financial institution of America Stadium in Charlotte with scarce updates.
Chelsea had managed this contest up till that stoppage. Nevertheless, upon returning, they misplaced their 1-0 result in a controversial penalty scored by Angel Di Maria after Malo Gusto was deemed to have dealt with the ball.
The Blues managed to go on to win 4-1 within the half-hour of additional time as Benfica had Gianluca Prestianni dismissed for a second yellow card.
Whereas Maresca was eager to emphasize that he loves the Membership World Cup as a contest, his assertion on the variety of suspensions being compelled on fixtures because of storms was a damning search for FIFA and their president Gianni Infantino.
‘For 85 minutes, we had been in charge of the sport,’ Maresca informed a gaggle of English reporters after their victory in Charlotte. ‘We did not concede nothing. We created sufficient probabilities to win the sport. After which after the break, the sport modified fully.
A furious Enzo Maresca blasted Chelsea ’s Membership World Cup victory over Benfica as ‘not soccer’
Play was suspended for practically two hours because of lightning putting close by in Charlotte
‘For me personally, it isn’t soccer. It’s already seven, eight, 9 video games that they suspended. I feel it is a joke, to be trustworthy. It’s not soccer. It isn’t for us. You can’t be inside. When you droop seven or eight video games that signifies that most likely will not be the suitable place to do that competitors.’
Chelsea will play Palmeiras within the Membership World Cup’s quarter finals in Philadelphia this Friday. That may see them face their incoming 18-year-old wonderkid, Estevao Willian.
Different video games suspended because of storms in the USA have been Benfica versus Auckland Metropolis in Orlando, Ulsan versus Mamelodi Sundowns in Orlando, Pink Bull Salzburg versus Pachuca in Cincinnati, Boca Juniors versus Auckland Metropolis in Nashville, and Palmeiras versus Al Ahly in New Jersey.
Chelsea travelled again to their Miami coaching base after this exhausting win in Charlotte and had been lucky that one other suspension was not enforced in further time, as FIFA our bodies on the Financial institution of America Stadium had been nervous that their climate trackers had spied a brand new storm arriving within the space.
Persevering with, Maresca mentioned: ‘The issue is that when the sport is suspended, it isn’t soccer. Guys, it isn’t soccer. You droop the sport, it isn’t soccer. It is fully one thing totally different.
‘The sport was superb for 85 minutes. Then we had a two-hour cease. Then it began fully totally different. It isn’t the identical sport. It isn’t the identical sport since you break the tempo.
‘Two hours inside, folks converse with the household outdoors, in the event that they had been good, the safety, folks consuming, folks laughing, folks speaking on the cell. It is two hours.
‘That is why I mentioned it isn’t soccer. It’s one thing that you just battle to know. However we tried to exit, proceed in the identical approach, figuring out that it was troublesome. It isn’t random that for 85 minutes, we did not concede nothing. After which for 5 minutes, we conceded a number of probabilities. Why? It is as a result of it began a totally totally different sport. It isn’t regular. It isn’t soccer.
Maresca was livid that his gamers had been left twiddling their thumbs for practically two hours
The Chelsea boss questioned the USA’ suitability for internet hosting a summer time match
‘I ask you, if on this competitors, they already suspended six, seven, eight video games, most likely there’s something that’s not working effectively. As a result of in a soccer sport, it isn’t regular to droop a sport.
‘Please do not misunderstand me. It is a improbable competitors. It is a Membership World Cup. It is prime. We’re pleased to be within the final eight. However one thing occurs, six, seven video games suspended.
’It’s not regular to droop a sport. In a World Cup, what number of video games are suspended? Zero, most likely. In Europe, what number of video games? Zero. We’re right here two weeks, they’ve already suspended six, seven video games. There’s some drawback for me personally.
‘How will you maintain them two hours inside targeted? It is a joke. Then we’re pleased. We’re pleased to be right here. We’re pleased to be on this competitors. Nevertheless it’s one thing that it isn’t regular.’
