Club World Cup: Chelsea boss calls playing in ‘empty’ stadium ‘strange’ after win
Blues beat Los Angeles FC in front of 50,000 empty seats in a match which kicked off at 3pm local time in Atlanta
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said it was “strange” to play in front of 50,000 empty seats during his side’s Fifa Club World Cup Group D opener on Monday.
The Blues beat Los Angeles FC 2-0 in Atlanta, with the attendance recorded at 22,137 – far short of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s capacity of 71,000.
“I think the environment was a bit strange – the stadium was almost empty, not full,” Maresca said. “We are professional and we have to adapt to the situation, to the environment.”
“You have to adapt when you play with a full stadium. You have to adapt when the stadium is not full. But it does not matter.”
The BBC reported that, before kick-off, the cheapest ticket available was £37 (HK$394), while they were still on sale in almost every area of the stadium during the game at £26.
Goals in each half from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez gave the 2021 Uefa Champions League winners the victory, with Liam Delap making his debut from the bench.