Enzo Maresca slams 'joke' Club World Cup delay as Chelsea game stopped for TWO HOURS

Enzo Maresca branded Chelsea’s farcical Club World Cup tie a 'joke' after it was delayed for nearly TWO HOURS. Chelsea boss Maresca was furious after his players were taken off the pitch for one hour and 53 minutes because of lightning storms and severe weather warnings.

And Maresca claimed the United States was not fit to host the tournament after Chelsea were caught up in the SIXTH weather delay of the tournament which will have a knock-on effect for next year's World Cup. They eventually went through against 10-man Benfica 4-1 after extra time as the game took four hours and 38 minutes to complete from the original kick-off time.

Strict US rules state that games must be delayed for 30 minutes for safety reasons if lightning is spotted within a five-mile radius - and it resets every time another flash is spotted. It is the sixth weather delay in the tournament, with Chelsea now into the quarter-finals against Palmeiras and on course for a potential semi-final showdown with Manchester City if they both progress.

Maresca said: "It's a joke. That's why I said it. if they're already suspended six games, probably there is something that is not working. I'm not here to decide the rule. I'm no one to decide the rule. I'm the last one. I'm talking as a manager. As a manager, it's difficult to manage two hours suspended.

"There is some problem for me personally. But I'm not talking - I'm talking as a manager. Because when you are two hours inside and you try to keep them in the game, but for two hours, they are speaking with the family outside for safety reasons.

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"They are eating something, they are playing, they are laughing. How can you keep them two hours inside, focused? Then we are happy. We are happy to be here. We are happy to be in this competition. But it's something that it's not normal for."

Maresca argued that certain cities in the United States should not be staging games because of the weather warnings at this time of year. Chelsea were 1-0 up when the game was suspended with 84 minutes on the clock only for Benfica to snatch a last gasp penalty before they had Gianluca Prestianni sent off in extra-time and Maresca's men ran riot.

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He added: "I think it's a joke to be honest, it's not football. It's not for us. You cannot be inside. It's completely something you know, but I struggle to understand. I can understand that for security reasons, you are to suspend the game. But if you suspend seven, eight games, that probably is not the right place to do this competition."

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