Chelsea have had to weather intense heat out in the United States in their bid to win the Club World Cup with midfielder Enzo Fernandez admitting the conditions affected him during a game
Enzo Fernandez has warned “very dangerous” temperatures in the Club World Cup have left him feeling “really dizzy.”
Chelsea midfielder Fernandez has also urged FIFA to review their schedules and kick-off times ahead of next year’s World Cup which is being hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Fernandez was part of Argentina’s World Cup winning squad in 2022 but says the heat in America is ruining football as a spectacle and is also bad for fans in stadiums.
When quizzed about the temperatures, Fernandez said: “Thanks for asking this question, because the truth is, the heat is incredible. The other day I got a little dizzy in the game. I had to throw myself to the ground because I was really dizzy.
“The truth is, playing in that temperature is very dangerous. And for the spectacle, for the people who come to enjoy the stadium, and for the people who watch at home, the speed of the game isn’t the same.
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“Everything feels very slow. We hope they change the schedule next year so that it’s a spectacle and football continues to be enjoyable and attractive.” Chelsea’s last game in the MetLife Stadium saw temperatures hit 100 degrees-plus at pitch side for their clash with Fluminense.
They will kick off against Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final at the same time with similar temperatures forecasted. FIFA organisers have yet to reveal the kick-off times for next summer but their Global Football Development officer Arsene Wenger has suggested they will look at staging games with earlier kick-off times in stadiums with roofs such as Atlanta.
Wenger also hinted they may look at the schedule on the back of the Club World Cup which largely has been organised with European TV schedules in mind. Sunday’s 3pm kick-off time means it will be shown at 8pm in the United Kingdom. Fernandez admits PSG will be strong favourites on Sunday – but says they can cause an upset in the £97m final.
He added: “Well, it’s normal they’re talking about Paris, the Champions League winners. They’ve been playing well for a while now but we hope Sunday will be a good final for us. It’s the final. I like playing them. I’ve been lucky enough to win most of them. I’m going to enjoy it. It’s not like the one in the World Cup but it’s going to be enjoyable.
“The truth is I have achieved some very nice things on a personal level but being in a hotel for a month wasn’t easy at all. As you know, enjoying time with family when I can is very important to me. This title is very important for the club. It’s very important to play for the best clubs in the world and we believe it’s a great title for the club. We’ll try to prepare for the match in the best way possible.
“We plan to play a certain way, whatever our coach decides. In the few days we have left before the game we need to prepare as best we can and carry it out on Sunday.”
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