Delighted Enzo Maresca hails new boy Joao Pedro after Chelsea reach Club World Cup final

EAST RUTHERFORD – Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca hailed Joao Pedro and expressed his delight at reaching the Club World Cup final, after the new signing’s double strike secured a 2-0 win over Fluminense in the last four on July 8.

“We are very happy and very proud to be in the final on Sunday because this is the first edition of the (expanded) Club World Cup and the best clubs in the world are here,” said the Italian.

Pedro was starting for the first time since arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion for a reported £60 million (S$104.5 million) last week, fresh from an off-season break.

The Brazilian made an immediate impact in the game at the MetLife Stadium just outside New York. He produced two superb finishes, either side of half-time, to take Chelsea through to July 13’s final against Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid.

“I am very happy for Joao. He has the quality to decide games like today, but also he was on holiday so is probably a bit more fresh compared to the rest,” Maresca added of the 23-year-old.

“We knew what Joao was like. We brought him in because this season we faced many teams with low blocks and his quality is very good against these kinds of teams.”

The striker did not celebrate his goal out of respect for the club from Rio de Janeiro, where he started his career before moving to England to join Watford in 2020.

“When I was young they gave everything to me, they showed me to the world,” he said after collecting his award for player of the match.

“If I am here now, it is because they believed in me, so I am very grateful. But this is football – I have to be professional. I feel sorry for them, but I have to do my job.”

Pedro made his debut for Chelsea in their 2-1 quarter-final win over Palmeiras on July 4 with only a couple of training sessions under his belt. Four days later, he was in the starting team.

Chelsea were without the suspended Levi Colwill and Liam Delap, but midfield linchpin Moises Caicedo returned after sitting out the last-eight win in Philadelphia due to a ban.

The Blues were simply too strong for their opponents in a game watched by 70,556 fans on a hot afternoon.

Chelsea’s run to the final of the lucrative competition comes at the end of a season in which they finished fourth in the English Premier League to secure a return to the Champions League. They also won the Conference League.

“The last few years have not been what this club deserves, but this year luckily things went pretty well, and now we are in the final,” said Maresca.

“We are very proud to help the team be back where they deserve to be.”

One possible issue for Chelsea ahead of the final is the fitness of Caicedo, who came off injured deep in stoppage time at the end of the match.

“‘Moi’ twisted his ankle. When it happened I told him that we could play with 10 players and hope it doesn’t get worse,” Maresca said.

“He felt he could try (to play on) which he did, and he felt pain. Hopefully he can be fit for Sunday.”

Meanwhile, Fluminense coach Renato Portaluppi was disappointed with his team’s exit as South American hopes of winning the competition came to an end.

However, he said they had “regained credibility” for Brazilian football with their run to the semi-finals.

“Fluminense’s campaign was wonderful, I think we all felt that. We overcame some major opponents,” said the 62-year-old.

“Chelsea deserved the win, but I am very proud of everything we did. We go out with our heads held high.” AFP, REUTERS