Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has dismissed suggestions that the club's hierarchy is pressuring him to win the Club World Cup because of the massive financial rewards on offer at FIFA’s revamped tournament.
World football’s governing body has announced a staggering $1 billion prize pool for the 32 participating teams in the United States.
If Chelsea, one of 12 European sides in the competition, lift the trophy on July 13, they stand to earn around $125 million (92.4 million pounds) in prize money – offering a significant financial boost ahead of next season.
Still, Maresca insisted the club’s focus has remained strictly on performance, not profit.
“Money hasn’t been part of the conversation,” he said of his discussions with the club’s leadership.
“The owners just want the best for us and for the players game by game, and they are not talking about the final prize or the final reward in terms of money,” the Italian told reporters in Philadelphia ahead of Tuesday’s match against Esperance of Tunis.
“They never put pressure on me or the players in terms of, ‘We need to win this tournament because of the money.’”
Chelsea must avoid defeat against the Tunisian four-time African champions to qualify for the last 16 from Group D.
That comes after a 3-1 loss to Brazilian giants Flamengo in their previous match, when Maresca appeared to prioritize tactical experimentation over results.
Playing Cole Palmer on the right of a front three proved ineffective, as the England international struggled to make an impact.
“Off the ball, Cole was defending a little more wide, but the position on the ball was exactly the same position as during the season,” Maresca explained.
“If it is a good moment or not to try new things, I don’t know. But we also are here to think about the future and to try different systems.
“Last year we played three or four different systems during the season. The idea is to continue to evolve and improve, and to try different things.”
Philadelphia is currently experiencing a fierce heatwave, and while the 9 p.m. local time kickoff on Wednesday should help minimize its effect on the match itself, the extreme temperatures have complicated preparations.
“It is almost impossible to train because of the weather. Now we are just trying to save energy for the game,” said Maresca, who is expected to rotate his squad and make several changes to the starting lineup.
Striker Nicolas Jackson is suspended after being sent off against Flamengo just minutes after coming on as a substitute.
Chelsea won their opening match at the tournament, defeating Los Angeles FC 2-0 in Atlanta, before the loss to Flamengo.
Esperance rebounded from their defeat to the Brazilians with a 1-0 win over LAFC in Nashville in their last outing. It remains the only victory in six matches at this Club World Cup for a North African team.
If Chelsea advances, they will head to Charlotte for a last-16 tie on Saturday against the winner of Group C, which could be Bayern Munich.
“If we go through, we can talk about Bayern,” said Maresca. “In this moment, it has to be about tomorrow. Football is full of surprises.”
Esperance coach Maher Kanzari said his team is ready for a “historical” clash against the Blues.
“We are prepared and we have to fulfill the expectations of our technical team, of our fans, of the Tunisian public. It will be a historical game,” he said.
“We will be well prepared, especially mentally. Everyone is waiting for this game and we are really proud of what we have achieved so far.
“Hopefully, we will do what it takes.”
