CLUB WORLD CUP
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami relishing reunion with PSG and Luis Enrique
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano is hoping that Lionel Messi’s memories of his unhappy time at Paris Saint-Germain will fire him up for the clash between the two teams in the Club World Cup on June 29.
Miami were surprise qualifiers from Group A after beating Porto and drawing with Palmeiras and Al Ahly, and now face the daunting task of playing the recently crowned European champions.
Messi joined Miami after two seasons in the French capital and made clear he had not enjoyed his time with PSG.
“It’s clear that it would better for us if he was angry, because he’s one of those players who, when he has something in mind, gives a bit extra,” Mascherano told ESPN.
The Argentine coach was clear though that the emotions will be less than if Messi were up against PSG on European soil rather than facing his old team in Atlanta.
“I think that’s in the past now, it’s another story. Also, the fact that it’s here in the United States, I don’t think the atmosphere will be the same, but what we will try to do is play a great game,” he added.
“We know that in order to have a chance, we have to play a perfect game, and well, we’ll go for it.”
After joining Miami in Major League Soccer, Messi reflected on his time in Paris saying it had been “difficult”.
“I spent two years that I didn’t enjoy. I wasn’t happy on a day-to-day basis, with the training sessions, the games, I found it hard to adapt to all that,” he said.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will face a very different PSG to the one that he left with the club having been transformed under Spanish coach Luis Enrique.
Enrique is a familiar face for several of the Miami team who played under him at Barcelona.
Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Messi and Mascherano all featured for Enrique’s Barca, winning the treble under him in 2015.
“I’ve said it infinite times. For me, he’s the best – I think not just as a coach, but also how he manages the group,” said Alba, who also worked with Enrique with the Spanish national team.
“He’s a phenomenon. I’m excited to see him, as well as his entire staff. I’ll give him a hug but when the ref blows the opening whistle, try to beat him. Which is what all of us here are trying to do.”
Suarez, who scored in the 2-2 draw with Palmeiras on June 23, was also full of praise for the Spanish coach.
“For me, along with Maestro (Oscar) Tabarez of the (Uruguay) national team, he was the most important coach of my career, for what they taught me, for what I learnt in the day-to-day with them,” he said.
“He’s a coach who influenced me greatly. I already had a competitive DNA, but he injected even more into me. He taught me how to move within a space where I had to play a role I wasn’t used to, not touching the ball a lot… Not to mention on a personal level, a relationship of great respect and admiration for what he generated for us as players.”
Mascherano, in his first club coaching job, said he remains a personal friend of the PSG coach and his family.
“That is the beautiful thing about football sometimes,” he said.
“You face these kind of things and, well, in my opinion, I do not deserve this as a coach just yet. But yes, it will be a very beautiful opportunity. I always wish him all the best; that won’t be the case for Sunday. I hope luck will be on our side on Sunday. But yes, I have a very good relationship with him. I appreciate him a lot.”
-AFP
Football fans hoping to rub shoulders with FIFA executives and legendary players at a star-studded gala in New York City will need deep pockets.
Big Art, an international event management company, is hosting an exclusive event on Wall Street to mark the FIFA Club World Cup finals. Among the high-profile attendees expected are FIFA President Gianni Infantino and former World Cup stars Kaka, Ronaldo, and Roberto Carlos.
Billed as “the official celebration of the FIFA Club World Cup finals,” the glamorous evening will feature a live performance by global pop sensation Rita Ora.
Tickets for the gala don’t come cheap—entry starts at $1,000 per person for the Silver tier, with Platinum priced at $2,000 and the elite Black category going for $3,000.
The event is slated for July 10, falling between the tournament’s second semifinal and the final match, which is set for July 13. While FIFA confirmed it will not receive proceeds from the event, it has not disclosed where the revenue will be directed, according to The Athletic.
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Tosin Adarabioyo, the towering defender eligible to play for Nigeria, was among the scorers as Chelsea’s second-string side swept past Esperance de Tunis 3-0 to book a place in the Round of 16 at the FIFA Club World Cup on Tuesday.
Adarabioyo, born in England to Nigerian parents, gave Chelsea the breakthrough in first-half stoppage time, rising above the Esperance defence to head home a well-placed corner into the bottom left corner. The goal marked a milestone moment for the former Fulham man, who joined Chelsea this summer and remains a potential option for the Super Eagles if he chooses to switch allegiance from England, where he has featured at youth level.
Chelsea doubled their lead just moments later through Liam Delap, who pounced on a defensive lapse to calmly slot in the second goal. Tyrique George sealed the result deep into added time with a well-struck effort from the edge of the box.
The win saw Chelsea finish second in Group D behind Flamengo, who were held 1-1 by Los Angeles FC. Flamengo topped the group with seven points, just one ahead of Chelsea. Esperance ended third with three points while LAFC brought up the rear with a single point.
Chelsea will now face Group C winners Benfica on Saturday at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Meanwhile, Flamengo are set for a blockbuster clash with Bayern Munich—Group C runners-up—on Sunday in Miami.
Despite the high stakes, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca opted to rest key players, including Cole Palmer and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. Also absent was striker Nicolas Jackson, who remains suspended following his red card in the 3-1 loss to Flamengo.
Delap, a £30 million signing from Ipswich Town, had an active game and nearly opened the scoring in the 20th minute, only to see his header cleared off the line. He missed another chance before making amends with his well-taken goal.
The result underlines Chelsea’s depth and offers a glimpse of what Adarabioyo—still very much on Nigeria’s radar—could bring to the national team if he commits to the green and white.
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Chelsea’s new striker Liam Delap scored his first goal for the club on Tuesday to help the London side secure a spot in the Club World Cup round of 16 with a 3-0 win against Esperance de Tunis.
Delap, a 30 million pounds ($40.84 million) signing from Ipswich Town earlier this month, has settled in well and his quick progress will please coach Enzo Maresca given Chelsea will be without striker Nicolas Jackson against Benfica on Saturday following his red card against Flamengo.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
One of the summer’s most-wanted young strikers, Delap looks like he can give Chelsea the spark they were missing with his excitement and energy. Maresca is pleased with what he is seeing from the forward and expects big things from him.
KEY QUOTES:
Chelsea manager Maresca: “I’m pleased with Liam, with him scoring for us, but against Flamengo he had three clear chances to score goals, so that is already a good feeling because that means that he’s there, he’s in the right position, he’s doing well. Unfortunately, he didn’t score against Flamengo, and tonight he scored. We know that Liam is going to score goals with us, and we don’t have any doubt about that.
“The process quite quick with Liam, and the reason why is because we know him, and he knows us in the way we want to play. So, for instance, for Dario Essugo, or for Mamadou Sarr, or even for Andrey that he was just with us last pre-season, it’s going to be a little bit more complicated.
“They need more time because they don’t know the way we want to play exactly. But Liam, as I said, we know each other very well. So, the process for him is quite quick, and then it’s also because he’s a very good player.”
-Reuters
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