PSG boss Luis Enrique appears to SLAP Chelsea striker Joao Pedro in the face following the Blues’ Club World Cup triumph
Chelsea’s Club World Cup final triumph over Paris Saint-Germain ended in ugly scenes after the final whistle when PSG manager Luis Enrique appeared to get physical with a Blues player.
The Blues sealed a 3-0 win – with a first-half double from Cole Palmer and a Joao Pedro strike before the break – to become the first side to lift the trophy in its revamped 32-team format.
But at full-time, tensions boiled over as PSG boss Enrique appeared to strike Chelsea striker Joao Pedro in the face during a heated post-match clash between both teams.
Pedro was initially embroiled in a confrontation with Gianluigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi – with Andrey Santos also on the scene – before Enrique marched over towards the situation.
But rather than defusing the situation, the Spanish manager made it physical, laying his hands on Pedro before being held back by his own player Presnel Kimpembe.
Pedro fell to the floor in dramatic fashion, clutching at his face.
PSG manager Luis Enrique appeared to slap Joao Pedro after full-time on Sunday
Tensions boiled after the final whistle following Chelsea’s 3-0 win in the Club World Cup final
The chaotic scenes followed a match that saw six yellow cards shared between the two sides and a red card for PSG midfielder Joao Neves
Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia stepped in to defend their team-mate, holding back a visibly frustrated Gianluigi Donnarumma, who appeared to berate Pedro for his animated reaction.
What followed was pandemonium, with around five Chelsea players swarming Donnarumma in the aftermath.
The PSG goalkeeper was shoved by Tosin Adarabioyo, as Kimpembe continued his attempts to defuse tensions alongside Chelsea’s Filip Jorgensen.
Pedro eventually got back to his feet, only to find himself at the centre of a chaotic melee involving too many bodies to count.
On the touchline, a furious Enzo Maresca stormed in to drag his players away, shouting at those involved as he tried to restore order.
The Chelsea boss was also seen pulling Donnarumma aside, attempting to calm his fellow Italian in a bid to defuse the flare-up.
The chaotic scenes followed a match that saw six yellow cards shared between the two sides, and a red card for PSG midfielder Joao Neves, who was sent off in the 85th minute for violent conduct.
Speaking on the incident, Enrique said: ‘This was completely avoidable at the end, my goal was always to separate footballers, there was a lot of tension and pressure, there was a whole bunch of pushing that we should all try to avoid. My intention is to avoid it getting worse.’
Gianluigi Donnarumma was surrounded by Chelsea players, while Enrique was restrained by Presnel Kimpembe
After an altercation between players, Enrique stormed over and turned the situation physical
The PSG boss had just seen his side humbled in the Club World Cup final after winning the Champions League in the same fashion
Despite the post-match mayhem, Chelsea fans will remember Sunday night for the right reasons.
The Blues became the fifth club – and the first from England – to win multiple FIFA Club World Cup titles, joining Real Madrid (five), Barcelona (three), Bayern Munich (two), and Corinthians (two).
Maresca said of his team’s performance: ‘I have no words for the players. They all deserve this and it’s a good moment.
‘For me, we won the game in the first 10 minutes. We set the tempo and we were very good at pressing them. The conditions made it hard to keep going but the boys did well.
‘Of course I am very excited [about the future] but I’m more excited that we have three weeks off.’
