Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said winning the FIFA Club World Cup is as significant as lifting the UEFA Champions League after guiding his side to a commanding 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the final of FIFA’s revamped global competition on Sunday.
Speaking during a post-match briefing, Maresca hailed the importance of the new tournament.
“I have the feeling that this competition (FIFA Club World Cup) is going to be as important, if not more important than, the Champions League,” he said. “It features the best teams in the world, and I think we can value it on the same level.”
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The Italian, who took charge of Chelsea a year ago, previously served on Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff at Manchester City, where he experienced Champions League success in 2023. Now, as a head coach, he has added the Club World Cup to the UEFA Conference League title won earlier in May.
“I was lucky to be part of a Champions League-winning team, but winning the Club World Cup as a manager makes it even more special. It’s a great success and a source of pride for Chelsea fans; we will wear this badge for the next four years.”
Maresca revealed that he instructed his players to start aggressively against PSG, and it paid off. Chelsea scored all three goals in the first half, with Cole Palmer netting a brace and setting up Joao Pedro for the third.
“The message was clear; we’re here to win,” said Maresca.
“In the first 10 minutes, we showed our intent, and the quality of the players did the rest.”
