Chelsea’s qualification for the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals took a back seat following the explosive remarks from their head coach, Enzo Maresca, who strongly criticized the repeated match suspensions due to severe weather conditions. The Italian manager did not hesitate to express his frustration with the tournament's organization after a chaotic clash against Benfica.

The match, held in Charlotte, United States, was halted in the 85th minute with Chelsea leading 0-1, due to a lightning storm. The stoppage lasted two hours, during which players were forced to leave the field. Once the game resumed, the Portuguese side equalized through a penalty converted by Ángel Di María, but Chelsea ultimately secured a 1-4 victory in extra time.

“This is not football”: Maresca questions tournament venue

Clearly irritated, Maresca said the long break disrupted the flow of the game and affected his team’s performance: “We controlled everything for 85 minutes, didn’t concede anything, and created many chances. After the stoppage, it was a completely different match.”

He then directed criticism at the tournament organizers: “There have already been six suspended matches in this tournament. I understand if it’s for safety, but if it keeps happening, maybe this isn’t the right place to hold such a high-level competition.”

The Italian described what his players experienced during the delay: “They were talking to their families, eating, laughing, on their phones… How do you keep concentration for two hours in that situation? It’s not normal.”

Although he emphasized that the Club World Cup is a great competition and expressed his happiness for the win, Maresca insisted that these issues need to be addressed urgently: “In a World Cup or in Europe, matches don’t get suspended. We've been here for two weeks and there have already been six delays. That’s a real problem.”

He concluded by highlighting the challenge of maintaining a competitive mindset after such a long interruption: “It’s a joke. How do you keep your players focused after all that time? It’s just not the same game anymore.”