Maresca: Chelsea feels no financial pressure from the Club World Cup
Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s coach, has stated that the club does not feel financial pressure to win the Club World Cup, despite the £97 million at stake for the winner. The team faces a crucial situation to qualify for the round of 16, needing to avoid defeat against Esperance de Tunis in Philadelphia this Tuesday to secure second place in Group D. By just participating in the 32-team tournament, Chelsea will receive around £40 million, but the earnings increase significantly in the knockout rounds. Chelsea complied with the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules for the 2023-24 season. However, their accounts showed the sale of their Copthorne and Millennium hotels at Stamford Bridge for £76.5 million to a sister company, a move that generated controversy. In addition, the club sold its women’s team to parent company BlueCo for a record £200 million in women’s football. UEFA is still investigating both transactions in relation to its own Financial Fair Play rules. Chelsea have continued their investment in new players, committing over £1.2 billion since the Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital ownership took over in May 2022. Maresca insisted that there have been no conversations about the monetary importance of succeeding at the Club World Cup.Maresca added: “They just want to try to win for everyone: for them, for the club, for the fans, for the players, for me, for everyone. It’s not just about the economic aspect.”The owners only want the best for us and for the players, match after match. They don’t talk about the final prize or the final reward in terms of money. And they never pressure me or the players in terms of ‘we need to win this tournament for the money’.
Enzo Maresca
Reece James missed Chelsea’s training session on Monday due to illness, as temperatures in Philadelphia neared 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
