A livid Enzo Maresca blasted Chelsea’s Club World Cup victory over Benfica as ‘not football’, ‘not normal’ and ‘a joke’ as he questioned the United States’ suitability for hosting a major summer tournament – a year before FIFA bring the 2026 World Cup to America.
Maresca was furious with how in the 86th minute of their match, play was suspended for nearly two hours due to lightning striking nearby. It left the players twiddling their thumbs in the confines of the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte with scarce updates.
Chelsea had controlled this contest up until that stoppage.