How Chelsea Planned, Adapted and Conquered the Club World Cup | OneFootball

Chelsea’s Global Gamble Pays Off With Club World Cup Glory

When Chelsea parted ways with Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, there was no escaping the magnitude of the decision. At stake was not only the rhythm of a team in progress, but also the anticipation of a tournament with global implications. The Club World Cup, re-imagined and expanded by FIFA, was looming on the horizon. For Chelsea’s hierarchy, it became clear that the 2024-25 and 2025-26 campaigns would need to be treated as a double season. The stakes were too high to gamble on short-term uncertainty.

Sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, alongside Behdad Eghbali of Clearlake Capital, recognised that the disruption of managerial change on the eve of such a tournament could cripple momentum. With Pochettino’s deal set to expire in 2025, the timing was awkward. Rather than run down the clock, Chelsea moved decisively. The Argentinian departed, taking up the USMNT role, and in came Enzo Maresca.

Maresca’s Measured Revolution

Chelsea fans were split. The appointment of Maresca felt bold and unproven, a coach with a fine CV but little pedigree at the elite level. Yet by the end of the season, Maresca had not only silenced doubters but redefined expectations. Champions League football was secured, a Europa Conference League trophy was in the bag, and thanks in no small part to Cole Palmer, Chelsea conquered the world.

Photo: IMAGO

“To defeat Paris Saint-Germain’s previously irrepressible team represents a spectacular achievement for a Chelsea side which had been largely unfancied before the start of the tournament.”

It was the kind of narrative-altering result that builds belief and changes dressing room dynamics. From potential transitional season to definitive triumph, Maresca’s side began to resemble a unit sculpted with purpose.

This insight, credited to The Athletic, tells the inside story of how Chelsea made their mark on the world stage, overcoming obstacles both on and off the pitch.

Planning and Profitability

From the outset, Chelsea’s board viewed the Club World Cup with the seriousness it merited. Even before FIFA locked in the venues and sponsors, the club was strategising how to best navigate the competition’s demands and potential rewards.

FIFA’s prize pot remained a mystery for much of the planning phase. But the governing body hinted at Champions League-level revenues, which proved to be accurate. “Chelsea leave the United States $114 million (£84.5m) better off as the winners in the tournament.” That figure, while taxable and offset by the absence of a traditional pre-season tour, still delivered a financial lifeline amid looming Financial Fair Play and PSR concerns.

Chelsea’s books had taken hits. A UEFA fine of $36m and over £100m spent on signings including Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap meant that success in the Club World Cup was more than symbolic. It was essential.

Palmer’s Rise and Maresca’s Tactical Risks

If Maresca was the architect, Palmer was the poster boy. Literally.

His face lit up Times Square during final week promotion, alongside PSG’s Ousmane Dembele. Tagged ‘Scary Good’, Palmer delivered. Two goals and an assist in the final made the affair look easy. It was anything but.

“His life has changed in the past two years. As banter sometimes, I call him like a little superstar. But he handles it very well,” said Tosin Adarabioyo.

Palmer’s post-match comment, “Everyone’s talked a lot of s*** about us all season,” required a DAZN apology, but it epitomised a young squad fed up with being ridiculed. Palmer gave them a reason to roar.

Behind the scenes, Maresca’s meticulousness paid off. His complaints about a 329-day season, weather delays, training difficulties and player fatigue were not excuses, but expressions of the razor-thin margins at this level.

He rotated smartly. Delap was signed in time. Joao Pedro joined mid-tournament and scored twice in the semi-final. Even Noni Madueke was allowed to leave mid-tournament for an Arsenal medical, while Djordje Petrovic was sold to Bournemouth after declining to commit to a secondary goalkeeper role.

It was a balance between planning for glory and safeguarding Chelsea’s long-term strategy.

Margins, Movement and MetLife Magic

Chelsea’s journey was marked by details. They sidestepped FIFA’s bureaucracies, independently securing Philadelphia Union’s training base to avoid logistical chaos. They doubled FIFA’s daily financial allowance to ensure top-level preparation, lining up Barry University in Miami and tapping both New York City FC and New York Red Bulls facilities.

This attention to detail extended to travel, accommodation and player integration. Even players returning from loans had clear agreements about whether to rejoin or rest. Maresca made his intentions plain. “Guys, it’s not pre-season. It’s a tournament — a big, big tournament.”

Despite all this, the road wasn’t smooth. A red card for Jackson, a chaotic game against Benfica delayed by storms, tactical tweaks gone wrong against Flamengo and missteps with line-ups tested the squad’s unity. But adversity forged resilience. Maresca said he was trying “something different” tactically, treating the tournament as both a competitive goal and a pre-season simulation.

It worked. They avoided PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern thanks to finishing second in their group. With Inter and Manchester City bowing out early, Chelsea’s path opened.

They still had to beat Benfica and Fluminense. Joao Pedro’s double sealed their passage to the final. Fan support grew game by game. 70,000 packed into MetLife Stadium to witness Chelsea make history.

By full time, tempers flared, PSG and Chelsea players had to be separated, and Maresca’s aggressive approach had rattled one of football’s most glamorous outfits.

Chelsea were crowned champions of the world.

And they did it without compromising their future.

They now rest for three weeks, before reporting on August 4. No requests have been made to delay Premier League fixtures. Chelsea believe their squad will be ready. With games against Leverkusen and Milan lined up, preparation is already in place.

But the sense lingers that this was more than a trophy. It was the culmination of a shift. Not just a tournament win, but a marker laid.

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Our View – EPL Index Analysis (Excited Chelsea Fan Perspective)

If you had told us in May 2024 that Chelsea would be world champions by July 2025, few would’ve believed you. And yet, here we are. This is not just a win, it’s a statement. Enzo Maresca arrived under a cloud of doubt, following a coach who couldn’t quite ignite Stamford Bridge. He’s left us all breathless. Three trophies, including a world title, in one season? You can’t ask for more.

Cole Palmer is now our talisman. The lad has gone from promising to proper world class in a matter of months. And that final? Two finishes like mirror images, then an assist, against PSG no less. He delivered when it mattered most.

Massive credit must go to the board for planning so meticulously. The training bases, the player rotation, the bonuses. They treated the tournament with the respect it deserved, and now we reap the rewards. The money’s a bonus too, because with PSR and UEFA fines hovering over us, this cash keeps us competitive in the market.

Yes, it was odd seeing Madueke fly off mid-tournament and the red card for Jackson was daft. But this group has character. And Maresca’s built something. You can feel it.

The Premier League better watch out. This team’s tasted glory. Now they’ll want more.