Chelsea look forward to Club World Cup as start of a new era

Usually at this time of year we’re getting depressed about a long wait until club football returns.

Summer stretches out ahead, with only an international tournament to keep you entertained (if you’re lucky). Then there are friendlies and more waiting until we get back to action in August. Sometimes you even end up driven to watch cricket or F1.

But this year there’s a whole different setup. The Club World Cup, which starts in just a couple of weeks, will bring (hopefully) competitive football to June. and the start of July.

Even more fun is the fact that new players can be registered for the tournament, meaning fans get to see their team’s shiny new toys in action without having to patiently wait until August to open their presents.

As for the football itself – everyone seems convinced that it will be pretty low standard given it’s a post season, newly set up competition. But given the money involved, we actually expect it to be taken much more seriously than some people think.

Both in terms of earning money and earning prestige, Chelsea are among those most motivated to give it their all, and sports betting sites that accept Webmoney have them down as 5th favourites behind Real Madrid, Man City, PSG and Bayern Munich.

At 11/1, we think our odds are pretty long. It seems likely we’re more motivated than some of those sides, and the strong run we finished the season on will hopefully carry us into the games with some momentum.

We have had serious struggles in the last few years against top teams however, and if we’re to lift this trophy, we’re going to have to beat some of the very best. So it’s certainly not going to be easy. But we can see the likes of Bayern and Madrid putting out weaker teams and considering this a lesser tournament, while an upstart Chelsea led by a defiant Enzo Maresca could be desperate to prove they’ve earned their seat back at the top table.

Whatever the case, it’s a delight to have some proper football to look forward to, and we can’t wait for the whole thing to get underway once this international break is out of the way.

Win this or perform well against some of the giants in the competition, and our chances in our return to the Champions League next season look a lot more rosy.