Maresca ‘Very Proud’ as Chelsea Battle Through Weather to Reach Last Eight

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca expressed pride in his players after they secured a dramatic 4–1 win over Benfica to reach the Club World Cup quarter-finals.

The match, played in Charlotte, was anything but straightforward — a thunderstorm forced a suspension of nearly two hours just minutes before full-time.

“I’m very proud,” Maresca told DAZN. “The performance for me was top until the last five minutes when they stopped the game, and when we restarted, it was completely a different game.” Despite the chaotic conditions and momentum shifts, Chelsea showed resilience and composure to come out on top in extra time.