“Last warning” – FIFA send strong warning to Chelsea
Next summer, Chelsea will compete in the enlarged and redesigned Club World Cup in the United States.
FIFA has changed the Club World Cup, which was previously only played by seven teams, so that 32 teams would compete in 2025.
The first Club World Cup under the new structure will be held from June 15 to July 13 and will include two English teams: Chelsea and Manchester City.
Eleven other elite European teams will join Chelsea, who qualified by winning the Champions League title under Thomas Tuchel in 2020–21.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have been told they must field their strongest possible XI, which is part of the agreement to take part in the competition.
According to FIFA’s official regulations for the 2025 Club World Cup…
“By signing the Participation Agreement, each participating club automatically undertakes to: a) observe and comply with and ensure that their Delegation Members also observe and comply with these Regulations and the principles of fair play; b) observe and comply with all applicable laws; c) observe and comply with all reasonable instructions and decisions taken by the bodies and officials of FIFA in accordance with the terms of these Regulations; d) field their strongest team throughout the Competition.”
Chelsea and other participating teams will face fine if they withdraw.
According to FIFA’s official regulations for the 2025 Club World Cup…
“Any club that, after having submitted the Participation Agreement, withdraws from the Competition no later than 30 days before the first match of the Competition shall be fined at least CHF 250,000 by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. Any participating club that, after having submitted the Participation Agreement, withdraws from the Competition fewer than 30 days before the first match of the Competition shall be fined at least CHF 500,000 by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.”
Pep Guardiola is unhappy with this new calendar, and revealed last month that Manchester City had asked for domestic matches to be postponed at the start of 2025-26 – to accommodate a deep run at the Club World Cup – but admitted the Premier League had refused.
“The Premier League [has] not allowed us to postpone – and Chelsea, I think, all the teams that will go to the World Cup – the first two games to have more recovery,” Guardiola said.
“Thank you so much! They don’t postpone these games.”