Chelsea FC logo. (imago Images)
According to an official statement from FIFA (h/t football.london), Chelsea will not be playing their Club World Cup games in Japan this year.
The Blues, who won the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel at the end of last season, faced Europa League winners Villarreal in the UEFA Super Cup final last month.
The Stamford Bridge outfit came out victorious on the day as Kepa Arrizabalaga turned hero during the penalty shootout. The UEFA Super Cup victory confirmed that the Blues will have a chance to win their maiden Club World Cup as well this year.
The competition, which was scheduled to be held in Japan in December, posed a tough issue for the Blues due to a crammed-up fixture schedule. Tuchel’s men will already be competing in three competitions at the time, assuming they do not crash out of the EFL Cup or the Champions League.
Thus, the last thing they would have wanted is to travel 6000 miles off to Japan for another competition. However, the venue is now subject to change, as confirmed by FIFA in an official statement. It read (h/t football.london):
“FIFA can confirm that it has been informed today by the Japan Football Association (JFA) that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and hosting situation in the country, they are no longer in a position to host the FIFA Club World Cup 2021.
“FIFA would like to thank the JFA for their work and commitment and looks forward to going back to Japan in the future. Further details about an alternative host for the FIFA Club World Cup 2021 will be announced by FIFA in due course.”
Although there is no official confirmation of the new venue, it could be placed in Qatar, according to ESPN (h/t football.london). Thus, this would result in a big boost for the West London club, who would only have to travel 3000 miles for the Club World Cup – a competition they hope to lift for the first time in their history.
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