Soccer
Former Chelsea defender thinks young squad will be hungry for more silverware at the FIFA Club World Cup
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Chelsea go into their FIFA Club World Cup opener against LAFC tonight in a buoyant mood following a triumphant end to the regular season.
The Blues secured Champions League football on the last day of the league season with a victory over Nottingham Forest and then went on to add the cherry on top of the campaign by winning the Europa Conference League.
The win over Real Betis saw Chelsea become the first English side to complete a clean sweep of European trophies and now they have the newly revamped Club World Cup in their sights.
Speaking to BetUK, former defender Jason Cundy is excited about the Blues' involvement in the tournament and believes it's a great opportunity for Enzo Maresca's side to lift another piece of silverware.
“I am looking forward to the competition, and Chelsea will be aiming to win it," Cundy said.
"They aren’t favourites, of course, with PSG playing in it as well as Manchester City and Real Madrid, but what an opportunity for the young squad to win another trophy.
“They should cruise out of the group stage, and then once you are in a quarter final, no matter what the competition is, every player will be keen on winning the trophy. The Conference League is the first trophy some players in the squad have ever won, and they’ll have the taste for it now. They will also be looking to prove themselves to the manager for next season.”
“Other teams in the competition will do some business before the competition really gets going, and so will Chelsea, so anything can happen in a tournament like this. My only concern is the rest period that the players will get in between the competition and the start of preseason, as it will have a knock-on effect.
"They need to start fast in the Premier League if they want to challenge, so hopefully the club manages the tournament well and the players get some time off before preseason begins.”
After their clash with LAFC on Monday in Atlanta, Chelsea then face Flamengo and Esperance de Tunis in Group D.
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