Online Reporter
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN coach Luis Enrique on Friday urged his team to round off the best season in the club’s history by winning the Club World Cup but warned not to expect today’s final against Chelsea at MetLife Stadium, just outside New York, to be a “simple formality”.
The match kicks off at 3pm local time (9pm Zimbabwean time)
“This is absolutely not going to be a simple formality,” the Spanish coach insisted, refusing to accept that PSG are necessarily overwhelming favourites to lift the trophy at MetLife Stadium despite their fearsome form.
“I have analysed Chelsea. They have a great squad. Enzo Maresca is doing a great job and I really like what he is doing,” Luis Enrique said. “They are a very complete team.”
PSG can complete a remarkable clean sweep of trophies with victory, having won a French league and cup double before claiming the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history at the end of May.
“We want to finish this historic season in the best possible way,” said the former Barcelona coach.
“Now, we must open the next chapter, win more major trophies. We want to make more history by winning on Sunday (today).”
PSG were spellbinding at times in their 4-0 victory against Real Madrid in the semi-finals and also put four goals past Atletico Madrid and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami during the competition.
“But we have to win this game to round things off.
“However, in a final there is always a winner and a loser, and that doesn’t mean the loser has necessarily done anything wrong,” Luis Enrique added.
“We will lose again at some point, because that is what happens in top-level football, but I think the path is clear for everyone.”
This is the first edition of the 32-team Club World Cup, and whoever wins today will be world champions for four years, with the next tournament scheduled to take place in 2029.
“We are aware of the importance of this match, that it is a golden opportunity to be in a World Cup final,” said captain Marquinhos.
“This only happens every four years, and we don’t know where we will be in four years.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca admitted on Friday that Club World Cup final opponents Paris Saint-Germain are the best team in the world right now, but is hopeful that his side can finish off a successful season by winning the first edition of Fifa’s expanded competition.
“For sure, they are a top team in Europe and probably in this moment the best team in the world,” Maresca told reporters at the MetLife Stadium, where today’s final will take place.
“But I think every game can be different. We have maximum respect for them. I really enjoy watching them but at the same time we are here to do our best and try to win the final.”
Chelsea have eliminated Benfica, as well as Brazilian duo Palmeiras and Fluminense in the knockout rounds to reach the final at the end of a marathon campaign.
Maresca, who arrived from Leicester City last year, has already led the Stamford Bridge side to a fourth-place finish in the English Premier League, which brings with it qualification for next season’s Champions League.
In addition to that, they won the Uefa Conference League.
Now they have a chance to win more silverware — even if they are not the favourites against European champions PSG.
“It has been a great season, and for me the biggest achievement of this season is that exactly one year ago nobody was talking about Chelsea to do with football — it was all about having a big squad and big money, that kind of thing,” Maresca said.
“Now, nobody is talking about this — everyone is talking about Chelsea, the way we play, the way we win games, and this personally is the biggest achievement.” — AFP Sport
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu