Chelsea Italian manager, Enzo Maresca, has described the FIFA Club World Cup as a “big, big tournament”, and alerted his players that, “we are not here for pre-season”.
Maresca is making the statement ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup encounter against Los Angeles FC (LAFC).
Premier League 2024/25 top four finishers and Uefa Europa Conference League 2024/25 Champions, Chelsea, will lock horns with Los Angeles FC in their first FIFA Club World Cup match on Monday 16 June, 2025 at 20:00 (WAT).
Maresca expressed joy after the Blues “achieved something important” when they finished in the top four (4) of the Premier League and won the European competition.
According to the Club’s official website, ahead of the showdown at the Mercedes Benz Stadium, Maresca said: “We had a few days off [after the Conference League final] and some new players have arrived, so when we saw each other three or four days ago at Cobham, the feeling was a little bit like when you return for pre-season.
“But the first thing I said, and the main message since we returned, is that we are not here for pre-season, it’s a big, big tournament.
“We achieved something important by finishing in the top four in the Premier League, and we won the European competition we were in. But now that is done, finished, and we have to focus on the competition we are in now.”
He continued: “We had one competition this season, the Conference League, and the most difficult thing was convincing the players that it was the game of the season for our opponents, so if you don’t prepare in the right way, you can be in trouble.
“We have a difficult game and if we are not ready and prepared, we can be in trouble. So we must prepare 100%.
“So hopefully, we can start tomorrow’s competition by winning the game.”
On Sunday 15 June, 2025, in their FIFA Club World Cup openers, German Bundesliga Kings, Bayern Munich mercilessly whitewashed New Zealand side, Auckland City, by a massive ten (10) goals to zero (0); and Uefa Champions League 2024/25 Winners, Paris Saint-Germaine (PSG), made light work of Spanish La Liga club, Atletico Madrid, winning 4-0.
Photo: X/Chelsea FC
