Thiago Silva of Chelsea celebrates his goal with team mates during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. Copyright: xVincexMignottx PMI-4431-0025
As the champions of Europe, Chelsea have every right to be looking forward to the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup. The prestigious tournament is reserved only for continental champions and is more than just a glorified world crown.
The Blues have played in the tournament once before, back in 2012 when they lost to Brazilian side Corinthians in the final. They will finally have a chance to set the record straight this time around.
The tournament was originally set to take place from December 9 to 19 in Japan. The Asian nation is however dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, prompting them to withdraw from hosting the tournament. According to The Mirror, Chelsea now faces an anxious wait to know the schedule of the tournament.
The onus is now on FIFA to come up with an alternative venue. A decision will now be taken at their next Council meeting on October 20. This could very well see Chelsea have to reschedule their plans. There is every possibility that the tournament could now take place sometime next year.
This uncertainty is a frustrating aspect that the club will have to deal with. Just what impact it will have on our participation in other tournaments remains to be seen.
Liverpool faced a similar issue back in 2019 when they were forced to play the Carabao Cup quarter-finals less than 24 hours before their Club World Cup opener. The Reds sent out their youth side against Aston Villa in the League Cup and focused their attentions to lifting their first world crown.
While FIFA remains unsure of the venue, there is little doubt that the tournament will still go ahead. South Africa, Brazil and Qatar have all shown an interest in hosting the tournament. The South Americans have since withdrawn, bringing down potential venues to two.
If South Africa win the bid, they will be hosting the tournament for the first time. Qatar, meanwhile, has hosted the last two editions of the trophy.
The last English team to win the tournament was Liverpool in 2019. The Reds won the international treble that year. With the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup already in the bag, Chelsea can achieve the same glory should they win the Club World Cup.
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