Enzo Maresca fumed after Chelsea’s Club World Cup game against Benfica took nearly five hours to complete due to a weather delay, describing the situation as “a joke” and “not football”.
The Premier League side eventually ran out 4-1 winners after extra-time in the last-16 tie in Charlotte, which was suspended for almost two hours due to a thunderstorm.
Chelsea had been just four minutes away from victory following Reece James’ stunning free-kick when the players were taken off the field and fans were told to vacate the seating bowl at the Bank of America Stadium.
The players were pictured riding exercise bikes and kicking balls in the dressing room during the enforced break, but, when play eventually resumed, Benfica benefited from the break and forced extra-time with a controversial Angel Di Maria penalty.
The game swung back in Chelsea’s favour after the Portuguese giants had Gianluca Prestianni sent off and Christopher Nkunku gave them a decisive lead. Breakaway goals from Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall wrapped up the win.
Storms have now caused six games, all held in different cities, to be suspended during the tournament and Maresca went on to suggest the USA was not the right place to host the competition.
Chelsea defeated Benfica 4-1 after extra-time to progress to the Club World Cup quarter-finals and a clash with Palmeiras
“For 85 minutes we were in control of the game,” Maresca said.
“After the break, the game changed completely. For me it’s not football. It’s already seven, eight, nine games that they suspended.
“I think it’s a joke to be honest, it’s not football. It’s not for us. You cannot be inside. I struggle to understand. I can understand that for security reasons, you suspend the game. But if you suspend seven, eight games, that means that probably [this] is not the right place to do this competition.”
Players walk off the field for the weather delay
On the break, he added: “It’s a joke. That’s why I said it. if they’ve already suspended six games, probably there is something that is not working. I’m not here to decide the rule. I’m no one to decide the rule. I’m the last one. I’m talking as a manager. As a manager, it’s difficult to manage two hours suspended.
“There is some problem for me personally. But I’m not talking – I’m talking as a manager. Because when you are two hours inside and you try to keep them in the game, but for two hours, they are speaking with the family outside for safety reasons.
“They are eating something, they are playing, they are laughing. How can you keep them two hours inside, focused? Then we are happy. We are happy to be here. We are happy to be in this competition. But it’s something that it’s not normal for.”
Sky Sports News’ chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol says Chelsea players may welcome their six days off after heavy weather delays in their game against Benfica
Despite the difficult circumstances, Maresca was proud of his team for their extraordinary, weather-hit win to reach the Club World Cup quarter-finals, where they will now face Brazilian side Palmeiras.
Maresca told DAZN: “I’m very proud. The performance for me was top until the last five minutes when they stopped the game, and when we restarted [it was] a completely a different game.
“When you are inside for more than one hour it’s not easy but, 1-1, we continued to play and, at the end, I think the reward was one that we deserve.”
“We are in the last eight teams here in this competition and we are very happy.”
A competition hit by delays…
This match has not been the only fixture hit by the extreme weather in America this summer.
On Friday, the match between Benfica and Auckland City in Orlando was delayed for nearly two hours due to a lightning storm in the area. The game was suspended at half-time.
Then on Tuesday, also in Orlando, the referee took the Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns players back to the dressing rooms. The match was delayed for more than an hour due to the threat of lightning.
The was an even bigger delay in Cincinnati when a thunderstorm halted Red Bull Salzburg’s clash with Pachuca for more than 90 minutes.
New Jersey also saw a match suspended. Palmeiras and Al Ahly had a delay of 50 minutes due to lightning near MetLife Stadium..
How the delay unfolded…
Here’s how the delay, which lasted almost two hours, unfolded in our live coverage of Chelsea’s win…
10.52pm (BST) – 86: Not again… the play has stopped! With some dark clouds looming, the referee has been advised to head off the pitch. Safety first of course. But you can see some frustrated Chelsea faces who felt they were edging to victory…
10.58pm – Sky Sports News’ chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol: “There are dark clouds over the stadium now and it looks like storms are on their way. Fans are sensibly starting to head to the concourses as the stadium doesn’t have a roof.”
11.10pm – ‘Severe weather in the area, seek cover’ is the message on the big screen at the now empty Bank of America Stadium. Fans have disappeared into the concourses – and maybe home. Players are back in their dressing rooms.
11.12pm – A FIFA statement reads: “Due to adverse weather conditions in Charlotte, including the risk of lightning in the vicinity of Bank of America Stadium, the FIFA Club World Cup match between SL Benfica and Chelsea FC has been suspended. A 30-minute break has been foreseen.”
If it’s 30 minutes from the point of the suspension, then we could be back in 10 minutes. Fingers crossed…
11.21pm – Some suggestions that play could resume at 11.35pm but no confirmation yet. After a suspension of this length, the players are given a 10-minute window to warm-up before getting back under way.
11.25pm – No confirmation of play resuming. That 11.35pm target is starting to look ambitious. FIFA rules say a 30-minute window without lightning is needed for play to resume. The clock is reset in the event of lightning. A reminder that Benfica’s group game against Auckland City had an adverse weather delay of over two hours.
11.52pm – It’s now one hour since the players went off… The wait goes on.
12.06am – Hats off to any fans at the Bank of America Stadium who are sticking it out! A long old wait for four minutes of play…
12.20am – Sky Sports News’ chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol: “Fans in the stadium have just been told over the PA that the game will not restart until further notice. We better get used to these delays because the World Cup will be here next year at the same time of year.”
12.41am – We’re not far off two hours since play was suspended. It’s around three hours and 40 minutes since the game kicked off. But what’s this?! DAZN are showing players coming back out onto the pitch to warm up. It looks like we’re back! Fingers crossed!
12.46am – A decent number of fans are coming back out to their seats at the Bank of America Stadium. Fair play! The referee is preparing the players to get back under way.
12.48am – 86: WE’RE BACK! Now, where were we? The referee gets us back under way, two hours later!
Who do Chelsea play next?
Chelsea will face Brazilian side Palmeiras in the last eight, kicking off at 2am on Saturday at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
