Congratulations to Chelsea, they just keep winning different tournaments and they have a complete collection now. Manager Enzo Maresca has certainly made progress with his young squad who have turned an awkward inconsistent season into a very fine one having also won the Conference League too. The very first Club World Cup held in the United States was supposed to be about the best team in Europe PSG and possibly Real Madrid but the Londoners have stolen their thunder. Chelsea of course beat PSG in the final by 3-0 which was an impressive result given how strong the French champions have been this season. But every team and every player has its limit and this was evidently a game too far. Of course we all know if these two sides were to do battle next week PSG would have every chance of winning a one off match but you have to give credit to Chelsea. Here is a side who have had a very successful two decades now but have suffered a lot during that time too, but the Blues just don't know when they are cooked and keep bouncing back to remind us of this. The Club World Cup has faced its critics of course but in short the tournament is going nowhere and much like the World Cup it could take 20 years for it to be universally recognised and for it to gain some respect.
One of the main problems of having such an elite competition was how close it took place since the Champions League finished. In a huge marathon of a competition which included a league table format PSG came out victors, their first ever European Cup secured only the 2nd time a French club had won the competition and yet a few weeks later they are made to feel bitter and disappointed with this kind of final loss. It's a bit like England winning the Euros only for the World Cup to be played the following month and being knocked out of that. It feels as if FIFA are taking the joy of triumph out of the game. At least for Chelsea they won't be judged again for a few more months.
Crystal Palace have been thrown out of the Europa League and dumped into the Conference League because of a conflict of ownership and interest resulting from John Textor's stake in Lyon. Textor has since sold his stakes but he missed the UEFA cut off deadline of March 1 to do so. This seems harsh but then again the rules were there to see but Palace are outraged and will appeal. Meanwhile Nottingham Forest have jumped from the Conference to the Europa League and are going to be ecstatic by that. Palace owner Steve Parish does not think that they will be because they didn't originally earn that right. Sorry Steve they will be and if Palace do not win their appeal then the Premier League will have created yet another new rivalry when the two sides meet next season. Palace will most probably find out the hard way the difference between an elite club appealing and a smaller one. Still we wait for example for Manchester City's possible punishment which stands at 115 charges, in effect Palace had 1 which was dealt within a week. City remember have been charged by UEFA in the past and they quickly won that appeal you sense that Palace could be searching down a dead end.
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