'It's hard to digest' - Todd Boehly speaks out on Chelsea's 'surreal' Club World Cup triumph & issues verdict on Enzo Maresca

Chelsea started Sunday's final as underdogs as they were facing a PSG side that won every trophy on offer in the 2024-25 season, including the Champions League title. They were the clear favourites to lift yet another trophy after seeing off Bayern Munich and Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in the previous rounds. However, Cole Palmer tore up the pre-match script by bagging a brace and an assist to help Chelsea become world champions.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Blues chief Boehly said: "Well, we couldn't have wished for a better outcome for our boys, who have done such good work and trained so hard, really came together in America under Enzo's leadership and his direction. No one gave us a chance to beat PSG, and the boys really thrived and grew on that. Watching them come together over the last couple of weeks in America has been very special. I think the form that you've seen is everything we hoped when we were putting this together with [co-sporting directors] Laurence [Stewart] and Paul [Winstanley].

"Behdad [Eghbali, co-owner] and I couldn't be more grateful for the success that they've had, and for all Chelsea fans everywhere. We're just so thrilled, and thank you for sticking with us. We're really excited about what the future holds."

He added: "It's still hard to all digest, it's been absolutely surreal. But again, I think the thing that just made the day was just how well the boys played. They really had nothing to lose and they put it out there, they were so organised and so methodical, and the plan that Enzo laid out was so well done. So the combination of the planning and the execution couldn't have made me more proud."

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Interviewer Jim White also reminded Boehly that he had said, "In Enzo Maresca we trust," when he appointed the Italian coach last summer. The Chelsea co-owner was then asked to share his verdict on the manager's performance, to which he said: "I think he's very skilled at what he does."

The Club World Cup champions will play a couple of pre-season friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan next month before kicking off the 2025-26 campaign formally on August 17 with their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace.