‘It’s a hard decision! Petr Cech finally reveals why Kepa was drop for Mendy in Club World Cup final
Edouard Mendy had to miss the semi-final game having recently returned from the African Cup of Nations.
However, Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was in goal for Chelsea’s semi-final clash against Al-Hilal, as the Blues won the game 1-0.
Kepa put in a top performance in that game, and made two crucial saves to deny the Saudi side from scoring late in the game.
Meanwhile, despite Kepa’s fine performance, Mendy was chosen in goal ahead of Kepa for the final.
Explaining the decision, Chelsea’s technical director, Petr Cech, told Channel 4: “We have top goalkeepers, they both perform on the top level this season. It makes it hard. The same with the other players, 25 member squad but can only field 11 players.
“We chose to go with Edou because he’s our number one goalkeeper, he came over here, trained and is fit. I think it’s a hard decision to make but he’s our number one, he plays.”