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Fluminense have played more games than Chelsea since August 2024. |
At a press conference ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Fluminense at MetLife Stadium, coach Enzo Maresca said there was a big difference in physical strength between European and South American teams.
"We have played 63 games this season. European teams come to this tournament in a different (physical) state compared to South American teams, who have played fewer games," he said.
Coach Maresca emphasized: "The number of matches Chelsea has played since the beginning of the season compared to South American teams, including Fluminense, has a big difference". However, right after the Chelsea coach's statement, a Brazilian journalist immediately responded: "But in the same period, Fluminense has played 70 matches this season. 70 matches in the same period. More than Chelsea".
This answer makes Maresca silent, only giving a forced smile and not continuing to debate this topic. This debate then quickly went viral on social networks, exposing the complaints of European football teams when having to participate in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
The Brazilian football season runs according to the calendar year (January to December), with teams often competing in several competitions at the same time, including the Brasileirão, Copa do Brasil, Copa Libertadores or Copa Sudamericana and state championships such as the Campeonato Carioca.
Fluminense played 70 games in 2025, including games at the Club World Cup, where they beat Inter Milan and Al Hilal to reach the semi-finals. The long journeys in a country as large as Brazil, combined with overlapping tournaments, make Fluminense's schedule even tougher than Chelsea's.
Source: https://znews.vn/hlv-chelsea-sung-so-truoc-cau-noi-cua-phong-vien-post1566864.html
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