Maresca hails 'great triumph'

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca insisted winning the Club World Cup meant as much as winning the Champions League after his side beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final of the first edition of FIFA's new global club competition on Sunday.

"I have the feeling that this competition is going to be as important, if not more important than, the Champions League," said Maresca after adding the trophy to the UEFA Conference League title his team won in May.

Maresca only took over at Chelsea a year ago, but was previously on the coaching staff under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City when it won the Champions League in 2023.

"I was lucky to be on the coaching staff of a team that won the Champions League a few years ago, but this competition features the best teams in the world, and I think we can value it on the same level," said the Italian.

"It is a great triumph for us, and it will allow the Chelsea fans to have that on our shirt for the next four years, so it is a source of pride."

Maresca said he instructed his players to go out and take the game to PSG from the off — they went on to net all three goals in the first half, with Cole Palmer snagging a brace, before helping Joao Pedro add his name to the scoresheet.

"The message was to let them understand that we were here to win the game, and I think in the first 10 minutes we showed them that," Maresca said.

"That set the tone of the game, and then, it was the quality of the players that was important."

England international Palmer was named player of the match for his contribution.

The 23-year-old lived up to his superstar billing — his face has appeared on billboards around New York advertising the tournament, alongside the likes of Real Madrid duo Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.

"To score the goals was a great feeling, as was the way the team showed fire out there — the gaffer's game plan was spot on," he said.

"I just try to do my job every time I go onto the pitch, and, hopefully, I will continue (to do so).

"I have seen the billboards in Times Square and outside Madison Square Garden, and it is obviously a nice feeling to be alongside those players," he added.

AFP