Tribal Football

Maresca angered after Chelsea CWC triumph: This isn't football

Paul Vegas
Maresca angered after Chelsea CWC triumph: This isn't football
Maresca angered after Chelsea CWC triumph: This isn't footballAction Plus
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was angry over the suspension of their round of 16 Club World Cup tie with Benfica.

The Blues eventually won in extra-time, though the match was suspended for almost two hours due to thunderstorms in Charlotte.

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"For 85 minutes we were in control of the game. We didn't concede anything; we created chances enough to win the game. And then after the break the game changed completely," Maresca said afterwards.

"For me personally, it's not football. You cannot be inside for two hours. It is something completely new. I can understand that for security reasons, you are to suspend the game. But if you suspend six, seven games that means that probably is not the right place to do this competition."

Asked about the target of his anger, however, Maresca said: "This is a fantastic competition. The Club World Cup is top; we are happy to be in the last eight.

"It's not normal to suspend a game. In a World Cup, how many games are suspended? Probably zero. In Europe, how many games? Zero."