Chelsea’s Fifa Club World Cup win earned them a place on an elite list of clubs, writes Dylan Appolis.
Chelsea became the 11th team to win the Fifa Club World Cup, defeating Brazilian side Palmeiras 2-1 in the final at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
In so doing, the Blues could make the proud claim of having won every major title available to them, a feat achieved by only four other teams in Ajax, Juventus, Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
Kai Havertz’s extra-time penalty sealed the victory, delivering the missing piece of the puzzle; the one accolade the club had failed to win since Roman Abramovich took ownership of Chelsea 18 years ago.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel explained their preparation for the match: ‘We were calm before this game. We tried to calm the team down and to tell them what a fantastic opportunity it is to play football and that every player in the world was jealous of us playing in the final. So many young boys out there dream to be in this final one day. We reminded ourselves that all of us have been this boy. It’s also a moment to enjoy the hard work and sacrifice we all put into this game.’
Barcelona could become the next team to join the elite list because they are competing in the Europa League this season after their shameful early exit from the Champions League. It is an incredibly difficult feat to achieve and one that is impossible for many teams, such as Real Madrid, that never won the now-defunct Cup-Winners’ Cup.
Chelsea was able to participate in this season’s Club World Cup after they won the Champions League in the past season by beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final thanks to a Kai Havertz goal. Havertz is in good company as he is the first player to score in the Champions League and subsequent Club World Cup finals since Lionel Messi in 2011.
‘I’m very happy to have won three big titles with Chelsea in a short time,’ Havertz said. ‘Scoring in the big games is of course very special. There are still many big titles to be won. This season alone we have the chance of the Carabao Cup against Liverpool, the FA Cup and we’re still in the Champions League.’
Club captain Caser Azpilicueta also became the first Chelsea player to complete a full collection of major honours available in English football after joining the Blues from Marseille in 2012. It took the Spaniard 459 games to win every trophy on offer to him at club level, including two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one League Cup, one Champions League, a Uefa Super Cup, two Europa Leagues and now, finally, the Fifa Club World Cup. Chelsea legend Petr Cech praised the club’s captain for never disappointing and he believes the defender fully deserves the reward and honour.
‘Azpi has now won everything, and that is an amazing achievement. All the credit goes to him,’ Cech said. ‘When he arrived in 2012, he first had to compete for his spot. He had a long-term injury the year before, so he had had a difficult time before he came to us.
‘He had to start from scratch, fighting for his place.’ he added. ‘He is one of those players who never disappoints you. He works hard, he does everything. He is an honest player on the pitch, and off the pitch. You know you can rely on him in any situation. That is the key to his success. No matter which manager was in charge, they all knew they could count on him, his attitude, and his qualities. Now he has the huge reward of lifting these trophies as a captain.’
Chelsea has already won two trophies this season, beating Villarreal in the Uefa Super Cup final in August before lifting the Fifa Club World Cup. They are still in contention in every competition, so the Blues will be hoping to further extend their trophy haul.