Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez said the scorching heat at the Club World Cup in the United States left him feeling dizzy and described the high temperatures as “dangerous” to play in.
The inaugural 32-team Club World Cup, which concludes on Sunday with Chelsea facing Paris Saint-Germain in the final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, has delivered a spectacle on the pitch but concerns over player welfare and lukewarm attendances in the US have sparked a debate.
Tuesday’s semifinal between Chelsea and Fluminense which took place at 3 p.m. local time in New Jersey saw temperatures soar past 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) with over 54 percent humidity, prompting a National Weather Service warning.
Soaring temperatures in several cities hosting the Club World Cup have been a focal point in the tournament, which is seen as a dry run for next year’s men’s World Cup.
“Honestly, the heat is incredible. The other day I had to lie down on the ground because I was really dizzy,” Fernandez told reporters on Friday.
“Playing in this temperature is very dangerous, it’s very dangerous. Moreover, for the spectacle, for the people who come to enjoy the stadium, for the people who watch it at home.
“The game, the speed of the game is not the same, everything becomes very slow.
“Well, let’s hope that next year they change the schedule, at least so that it remains a beautiful and attractive football spectacle, right?” the 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina added.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has also previously complained about the heat, saying it was “impossible” to organize regular training sessions in the afternoons in Philadelphia.
“Some places have been really hot, the last round was hot and I was stuck watching it and I was thinking: ‘wow, this is so tough.’ I felt bad for them but they managed it really well,” Chelsea center back Levi Colwill said.
Chelsea’s Fernandez warns about ‘dangerous’ heat at Club World Cup
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Chelsea’s Fernandez warns about ‘dangerous’ heat at Club World Cup
- Chelsea faces Paris Saint-Germain in the final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday
- Soaring temperatures in several cities hosting the Club World Cup have been a focal point in the tournament
Joshua calls out rival Fury after knocking out Paul
- Joshua called out long-time rival Tyson Fury after the clash. “If you’re a real bad man, don’t do all that talking, ‘AJ this, AJ that,’ let’s see you in the ring and talk with your fists,” he said
MIAMI: Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua delivered a dose of reality to American Jake Paul with a savage sixth-round knockout that left the social-media-star-turned prize-fighter nursing a jaw broken in two places.
Joshua called out long-time rival Tyson Fury after the clash. “If you’re a real bad man, don’t do all that talking, ‘AJ this, AJ that,’ let’s see you in the ring and talk with your fists,” he said.
Paul managed to evade the heavily favored Briton through a lackluster first four rounds before Joshua found his range, knocking his opponent down twice in the fifth round and finishing him off with a devastating right hand in the sixth.
“It took a little bit longer than expected but the right hand finally found its destination,” said Joshua, who was returning to the ring after a 15-month layoff.
“Jake Paul has done really well tonight. I want to give him his props. He got up time and time again. It was difficult in there for him, but he kept trying to find a way.
“It takes a real man to do that ... but he came up against a real fighter tonight.”
Paul, who stepped up from cruiserweight for the bout and has brought a new audience to boxing through his fights and promotion company Most Valuable Promotions, was no match for Joshua’s size, strength and experience.
“I think my jaw is broken,” Paul, 28, said before spitting out blood. “It’s definitely broke but man, that was good.”
Paul later confirmed on social media that he had suffered a “double broken jaw,” uploading an X-ray showing two breaks while he joked he was ready to fight Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez in 10 days’ time.
“I’m going to come back and get a world championship belt at some point,” Paul said.
Others were not convinced.
“This is a clown show,” former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling posted on X.
Paul frustrated Joshua, and viewers, by diving at the Briton’s legs repeatedly and ending up on the canvas in the early rounds.
