Chelsea coach Maresca says US ‘is not the right place’ for Club World Cup after lightning delay

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca criticized FIFA for holding the Club World Cup in the United States after his club’s match against Benfica on Saturday was delayed for two hours due to lightning and took nearly five hours to complete.

Fans were told to vacate the seating bowl of Bank of America Stadium with four minutes left in regulation — the sixth weather delay in the first 50 games of the tournament, although it never rained at the venue. Chelsea went on to beat Benfica 4-1 in extra time.

If “they are already suspending six, seven eight games, probably there is something that is not working well,” Maresca said, adding that the United States “is not the right place to do this competition.”

Extreme heat has been an issue throughout the tournament, with temperatures approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) at some venues during daytime matches scheduled to accommodate European television audiences. Several matches have been delayed by rain.

After the lengthy delay on Saturday, Benfica made a late push and scored the equalizer on a stoppage-time penalty.

Chelsea captain Reece James said players “had to sit and wait for a long period, and it’s quite disruptive.”

With the expanded Club World Cup serving as a dry run for next year’s 48-team World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, FIFA has been criticized over pitch conditions and match scheduling as well as its handling of the weather.

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