Enzo Maresca on adapting to U.S. heat and Flamengo challenge

Enzo Maresca says he and his Chelsea coaching staff are prioritising what is worked on in training due to the sweltering heat and fixture schedule the Blues face during the FIFA Club World Cup.

With our remaining Group D fixtures – the first against Flamengo tomorrow and the second against ES Tunis on Tuesday – taking place at Lincoln Financial Field, the Blues have settled into life in Philadelphia over the past few days.

Yet with that has come soaring temperatures. Training today was held in 32°C heat and with the sun blazing down – and it is only expected to get hotter in the days ahead. That, coupled with this being the eleventh month of Chelsea's season, is why Maresca is adapting his sessions accordingly.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of our fixture with Flamengo, the Blues head coach said: 'We try to prioritise the things that we think are very important, especially in the tactical aspect.

'The reason why is the amount of games and sessions, it's impossible for them as human beings to be fit and 100 per cent for eleven months. So, even this morning, we did a session and after the warm-up, the main focus was the tactical aspect.'

The Blues started the Club World Cup with a victory over Los Angeles FC in Atlanta. That game was played with the roof closed at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but it will be a different story against Flamengo as Lincoln Financial Field is open to the elements.

‘It’s not easy because of the temperature, and this is one of the reasons why we try to rotate players,' said the Italian.

'But it’s the same for us and the other teams. Unfortunately for us, Brazilian teams are perhaps more used to playing in this temperature, but it doesn’t matter. We will try to do our best and try to win the game.'

Flamengo, the current leaders in the Brazilian top flight, started their Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over ES Tunis. Coached by Felipe Luis, who spent a season at Stamford Bridge during his playing career, it's a team that has impressed Maresca during his pre-match analysis.

‘They are a very good team, they play nice football, it’s nice to watch them,' said Maresca. 'They have many good players, the manager is a former Chelsea player and played many years in Europe, so I know him.

'The reason they are unbeaten in Brazil for many games and are doing very well is, when you watch them, you see they are a very good team with good organisation. Like any Brazilian team, they are full of quality and technical players, and we are going to have to try to be at our best to win the game.

Chelsea's game against Flamengo kicks off at 7pm UK time on Friday. You can watch that and every other game at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 live for free by signing up with DAZN here.

Click here to read article