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Chelsea became the crowned champions of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup by defeating Paris Saint-Germain in the final on July 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The Blues found the back of the net thrice while PSG were unable to open their scoring in the match. Cole Palmer scored a brace and then assisted Chelsea's third goal by Joao Pedro.
Speaking after Chelsea's victory, head coach Enzo Maresca heaped praise on Palmer while revealing what they planned to beat PSG, and said,
"These are the games we expect Cole Palmer to appear and once again he showed what he is made of," as per Reuters.
"The idea was go man-to-man because if you leave spaces to PSG they will kill you, so we tried to be very aggressive and suffocate them early on and that intensity was crucial in the first 10 minutes due to the scorching heat, that was really difficult conditions to play as the game progresses."
Maresca, then, shared his opinion on the Club World Cup, claiming the competition to be 'as important as or even more important than the Champions League.'
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What did Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca say about the Club World Cup?
The 2025 Club World Cup has now reached its end since its commencement on June 14. The competition has been on the receiving end of criticism with regard to its relevance and timing, as it interferes with players' rest in between seasons, among other factors.
In his post-match press conference, Maresca drew comparisons between the Club World Cup and the Champions League, and added,
"I feel that this competition [the Club World Cup] will be as important as or even more important than the Champions League. I was lucky enough to be part of a coaching staff [at Manchester City] that won the Champions League three years ago, but this competition [the Club World Cup] features the best clubs in the world."
"That's why we value it as much as the Champions League, or perhaps even more. For us, it was a great triumph. Allowing Chelsea fans to wear that world champion patch on their shirts is a source of pride for us."
The next edition of the Club World Cup will be held in 2029, where PSG and three other teams have already earned their spot.
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