Chelsea could be in danger of violating a unique Club World Cup regulation, despite having played just one match in the tournament so far.
The Blues opened their campaign with a 2-0 win over LAFC on Monday and are set to face Flamengo on Saturday in Philadelphia, followed by a clash with ES Tunis at the same venue next Wednesday. ..Continue Reading
Like other teams in the competition, Chelsea have included players who haven’t featured for them this season—either because they were recently signed or returning from loan spells. Manager Enzo Maresca kept his lineup mostly intact for the opener, with new arrival Liam Delap making a late appearance.
However, Maresca is reportedly considering more rotation in the upcoming fixtures, especially given Chelsea’s extended season due to their run to the Conference League final. This could put the club at odds with a specific tournament rule requiring teams to field their strongest available lineup throughout the competition.
The rule, part of a participation agreement signed before the tournament began, aims to discourage excessive squad rotation—particularly during the group stage. While it’s unclear how FIFA would determine what qualifies as a team’s “strongest” lineup, significant changes could be seen as a breach.
Despite this, Maresca is said to believe that rotating the squad is necessary due to fixture congestion and the intense heat in the stadiums. FIFA officials have reportedly acknowledged that enforcing the rule could be challenging.
A similar policy once existed in the Premier League but was relaxed in 2011 after Blackpool were fined for heavy squad rotation—an incident that nearly led to manager Ian Holloway’s resignation.
Holloway said he had made the changes due to his team playing four matches in 12 days, and fumed: “How dare anybody tell me the players I’ve been working with, I can’t treat them with respect and give them a chance.”
