Chelsea made a positive start to their Club World Cup campaign in the USA, but risk punishment from FIFA if head coach Enzo Maresca breaches an agreement. Chelsea and other teams at the Club World Cup are required to play their strongest teams. Could FIFA punish Chelsea for Club World Cup decision? Chelsea began their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over MLS side LAFC in Group D, in front of thousands of empty seats at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta. The Blues will face Brazilian giants Flamengo on Friday, June 20, and conclude their group games against Tunisia’s Esperance on June 24. Before their game against LAFC, Blues boss Enzo Maresca said he will likely rotate his squad. For instance, Nicolas Jackson started up front and was then replaced at the hour mark by Liam Delap.
According to the Daily Mail, Maresca and Chelsea are reportedly risking punishment from FIFA for potentially fielding a weakened team. The report adds that Chelsea signed a participation agreement that required them to field their strongest team throughout the competition. If they field a rotated or weakened team against Flamengo, they could be punished by FIFA. FIFA, the world’s football governing body, spent billions to market the tournament, but most stadiums remained almost empty in the opening week. Chelsea could face Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich at the Club World Cup. Which other teams are playing at FIFA Club World Cup? Chelsea are among the 32 teams battling for the inaugural expanded Club World Cup. It received plenty of criticism, with many raising concerns about the workload on players. Paris Saint-Germain’s clash against Atletico Madrid drew tens of thousands of fans, but other games have seen underwhelming attendance numbers. European giants Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, and Atletico Madrid are gracing the tournament.
South America are represented by Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense, River Plate, Boca Juniors, and Botafogo (Copa Libertadores winner). Africa and Asia are represented by four teams each, while North America has five teams, including Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami. How much will is Club World Cup prize money? The total prize pool will amount to $1 billion (KSh 130 billion), with 12 European clubs receiving 58% of the share. The winner will take home $40 million (KSh 5 billion). The runner-up will get $30 million (KSh 3.8 billion), while the semi-finalists will earn $21 million (KSh 2.7 billion). Teams that reach the quarter-final will pocket around $13 million (KSh 1.6 billion), per The Athletic.
By Edwin Kiplagat
