Sparse Spectators: Chelsea's Opening Act in the Club World Cup
Chelsea FC Emerges Victorious Amidst Unusual Surroundings
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In the grand arena of the Club World Cup, Chelsea, champions twice in the Champions League, faced off against Los Angeles FC. However, the usual vibrant atmosphere was missing as the team bagged a win in an "off-beat" environment.
Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca referred to the scene at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta as "bizarre." Only about 22,000 spectators showed up for the 2:0 win on a Monday at 3 PM, with the stadium designed for an audience of 71,000.
"The whole setup felt a bit out of the ordinary," Maresca noted. "The stadium was eerily empty. But we are professionals. We've got to adapt to the situation. Our players showed their professionalism once again."
In stark contrast, the opening game between Inter Miami, boasting Lionel Messi, and Al Ahly on Saturday, saw over 60,000 attendees, and even Sunday's clash between Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid drew a crowd of 80,000.
Maresca admitted he had anticipated a larger crowd. He expects a different scene for their next game against Brazilian giants Flamengo from Rio de Janeiro in Philadelphia: "We're confident that the next game will be much more lively. We know Brazilian teams always bring a throng of supporters."
Despite the sparse crowd, Chelsea made headway with goals from Pedro Neto (34) and Enzo Fernandez (79), securing a temporary first spot in Group D.
Source: ntv.de, ino/sid
- Club World Cup 2025
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Insights:
Attendance was poor at Chelsea's Club World Cup 2025 opener, with many empty seats, despite the stadium's capacity holding 42,500 for football matches. The low turnout may be related to several factors: a shortage of local interest or promotion, venue size, insufficient interest due to early tournament stage or poor promotion, and the scale of the stadium. FIFA remains hopeful that attendance will grow as the tournament progresses.
The European Parliament and the Council might be questioning the low attendance at Chelsea's Club World Cup match, given that they usually support European-leagues such as the premier-league with enthusiasm. The sparsely populated stadium during Chelsea's game against Los Angeles FC, despite hosting sports like football, was a far cry from the packed crowds for other matches in the tournament.
