Latest news with #RomeoLavia
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chelsea only interested in permanent sale of midfielder
Chelsea only interested in permanent sale of midfielder Chelsea are not prepared to accept loan proposals for Lesley Ugochukwu as things stand with the club keen to offload the midfielder on a permanent basis. Ugochukwu has started just three Premier League games since joining Chelsea from Rennes for a fee of £23.1m in 2023. The 21-year-old spent last season on loan at Southampton. He made 26 league appearances as the Saints were relegated from the Premier League. Advertisement Several sides have expressed interest in signing the Frenchman this summer, though Chelsea currently have no plans to sanction another loan deal. The West Londoners are keen to offload Ugochukwu on a permanent basis in the current window. Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Valencia are among the clubs with interest in the midfielder. There are also Premier League clubs also involved in the race. Chelsea's valuation of the player is unclear but the Blues are keen to sanction sales after breaching UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules. Ugochukwu is a player deemed surplus to requirements, given the presence of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia at Stamford Bridge in defensive midfield roles. Advertisement Andrey Santos has also returned to Chelsea after an impressive loan spell at Strasbourg last season. Read – West Ham want Chelsea midfielder as potential Kudus replacement See more – Dortmund keen to secure new loan deal for Chelsea midfielder Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok
Daily Mirror
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Chelsea star Lavia eyes Club World Cup win after 'craziest game I've played in'
Romeo Lavia impressed as Chelsea beat Benfica after extra-time (Image: AFP via Getty Images) Romeo Lavia insists Chelsea have 'gained a lot' from the 'craziest game' he has ever played in. Chelsea now face Palmeiras in Friday's Club World Cup quarter final in Philadelphia with a growing belief they can go all the way in this competition. Belgium midfielder Lavia says Chelsea have always had confidence they could win the trophy in the United States which would pocket the club £97m in prize money. But if there was a big moment in their campaign then it was certainly the post-match celebrations after they saw off Benfica in extra time in the last 16 stage. Chelsea were on course for a comfortable win, the game was delayed by the weather for nearly two hours with the players taken off the pitch before Benfica snatched a last gasp equaliser when it restarted. READ MORE: Chelsea transfer failing laid bare as star valued at £85m one year after move collapsed READ MORE: Chelsea's crazy spend on Brighton stars highlighted by incredible Amex Stadium stat But if you wanted proof that this trophy means something to the players then Chelsea's celebrations after their goals in extra time and at the full time whistle told the full story. Lavia, 21, said: 'We were just celebrating a win and the qualification. Nothing wrong with that. Yes, we definitely gain a lot from that result but at the same time we feel as if we are ready to do what we need to do and we were feeling very confident before the game. 'It's just good to see that we had the right mentality to come back onto the pitch and complete the game. It's what we deserved so we were happy that it came out the way we wanted. It was probably the craziest game I've ever played in.' Romeo Lavia put the hard work in as Chelsea edged out Benfica (Image: Chelsea FC via Getty Images) Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca branded the weather delay a 'joke' and 'not football' but Lavia was more measured in his attitude. The US rules state that games are held up for 30 minutes whenever lightning storms happen and that time resets each time a bolt strikes again. It has caused chaos and six weather delays in the tournament while the Chelsea players struggled to stay warm and focused in the dressing room when they were ordered off the pitch. Chelsea celebrated wildly after their victory (Image: AP) Lavia said: 'The rules are the rules and we just have to respect them whether we are angry about them or not because they are the rules and just get on with it. That's what we did. 'It kept getting delayed but we were just there waiting to get back on the pitch and to get the job done. They gave us communication only on how long until we could get back onto the pitch. 'It was quite surprising how many fans stayed because when we first came out again it felt like everyone had gone home and then they all came out and the support we had was insane. We really appreciated it.' Chelsea now face Palmeiras and Lavia says it is impossible to say who are favourites to go through and reach the semi finals. He added: 'They are a good team, we watched a few of the games in the Group stages so we know it will be a good game for us and we're excited to play it. It's a game of football you can never say one team is the favourite.' Both sets of players were forced off the pitch in Charlotte (Image: AP) Chelsea defender Malo Gusto also expects a tough game as Brazilian teams have achieved some big results - Flamengo beat Chelsea and Botafogo upset Paris Saint Germain - and now Palmeiras lay in wait. France international Gusto also says that Chelsea believe they can win the tournament after booking their quarter final place. Gusto added: 'We were disappointed about the result of the Flamengo but we have to look forward. Brazilian teams are very strong, they have a great desire to win. 'It's a good trophy for every team, of course we want to win and we have a great desire to win. If you play for Chelsea you have to win and you always look to win trophies. 'I think the best team will win and there's quite a few teams who will believe they can win the tournament. The team who wins it will be the team who prepares well together, they fight together in the moment and that's what we have to do in the future to win this cup.' Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Watch the Club World Cup free on DAZN The FIFA Club World Cup will see 32 of the world's best club teams including Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich play across 63 games from June 14-July 13. Fans can watch every match live and for free by signing up to DAZN.
Daily Mail
21-06-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Chelsea facing 'Heat Health Emergency' with temperatures soaring to 39C in final Club World Cup group game as Philadelphia declares Code Red
Chelsea have been warned of the dangers of playing in scorching 39C heat on Tuesday night — with the city of Philadelphia declaring a 'Heat Health Emergency' ahead of the Londoners' next Club World Cup clash. Enzo Maresca 's side are using Philly as their training base and will face the Tunisian club ES Tunis in their final group game at the Philadelphia Eagles ' Lincoln Financial Field, when local temperatures in Pennsylvania 's largest city are forecast to soar. Juventus will face Wydad of Morocco at the same stadium at noon today, which is when Philadelphia's emergency will officially kick in. Among their instructions is a warning to 'avoid, as much as possible, working or playing in the hot sun or other hot areas'. FIFA told Mail Sport yesterday that their medical experts are contacting their counterparts at Club World Cup sides regarding the rising heat and humidity, and that their top priority is the safety of everyone involved. Maresca has had to adapt to the temperatures by limiting the minutes he hands to Chelsea players with histories of muscular issues, such as Reece James and Romeo Lavia. The squad were having a rest day yesterday, with the Blues trying to manage workloads. Whereas Chelsea's win over Los Angeles FC was held at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium — where the closed roof and big air-con units made it feel like football in a fridge — the Lincoln Financial Field is an open arena. Both venues will be used for the 2026 World Cup, and that will also take place at the height of summer in the United States. England manager Thomas Tuchel is currently in the US, and was in Miami on Friday to see Bayern Munich beat Boca Juniors 2-1, with Harry Kane scoring the opener. FA insiders say Tuchel is more concerned with visiting facilities and training bases than assessing how players cope with the scorching weather. Kane, speaking after Bayern's win, said England's players will benefit from getting an early taste of the climate. 'You have to be able to adapt,' he said. 'It's a great experience for me and some of the other England guys who are playing this year and who will be playing next summer. 'There's always something special about these World Cup games and next year will be the same. When you come off that pitch and you're dripping and you're cramping and you've given everything out there, there's a special feeling inside, especially when you win. 'We (the England players) are not in touch with each other right now but it's something we'll talk about at upcoming camps — how we adapted to it and what training methods we used. 'All of this is good experience because it's going to be tough next summer, without a doubt. And we must use our experiences as an advantage.' Kane and Tuchel will have noted that the South American sides dealt with the heat better than their European counterparts. Botafogo beat Paris Saint-Germain and Flamengo overcame Chelsea at this Club World Cup. The Lincoln Financial Field is an open arena and there is no air-con when temperatures hit 39C Flamengo manager and ex-Chelsea star Filipe Luis said his team are more used to the climate Kane said England's players will benefit from getting a taste of the heat before the World Cup Flamengo manager Filipe Luis, the former Chelsea left back, admitted that his players are more used to this climate. 'Sometimes, the weather, they're not used to this,' Luis said of European sides. 'But the South American clubs are very competitive and not always the best win the Copa Libertadores. There's different grass, altitudes, so we have a lot of adaptations and we are used to that.' The Philadelphia authorities have set up a 'Heatline' so those in need can phone for help, with cooling centres and home visits by special field teams. The Office of Homeless Services also declared a 'Code Red'. Locals are being encouraged to check in on loved ones. FIFA told Mail Sport: 'FIFA's top priority is the health of everyone involved in football, and FIFA's medical experts have been in regular contact with the clubs participating in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 to address heat management and acclimatisation. 'FIFA has also deployed medical officers who work closely with the local medical authorities to address key health matters, including heat management. 'As successfully applied at previous tournaments and as referenced in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Regulations, FIFA is implementing a sound preventative concept at all venues, including cooling breaks in the 30th and 75th minutes, in accordance with protocols.'
BBC News
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Have the Club World Cup's innovations been good or bad?
Whether you like them or not, there have been plenty of new features at the Club World player walk-ons to the eight-second goalkeeper rule, the new 32-team format of the competition has been making what are the new initiatives introduced by Fifa? Are they working? Have a read - and have your say. Player walk-ons Every starting player has had an individual walk-on before each match at the Club World football news reporter Shamoon Hafez, who is at the tournament, says this has been the most notable innovation so far - because of the time it midfielder Romeo Lavia is a said: "I think it's something special and new for us. I enjoyed it. Why not bring it to the Premier League?"It's a bit of a showbiz thing, isn't it? I quite like it. The only difference is [if we did it in the Premier League], we might get a bit cold because once you're out there, you have to wait for maybe the other players."The innovation has drawn criticism from supporters as it has added extra time to the pre-match formalities, and a number of matches at the Club World Cup have kicked off a few minutes later than scheduled. Ref cam 'Ref cam' shows live images from referees' bodycams before a game, in the tunnel, during the warm-up and at the coin rugby union, no live images are shown during the game and - although goals and moments of skill will be shown with a delay - anything controversial or in bad taste, such as a player suffering a nasty injury, will not will be available to the video assistant referee (VAR), but that is not the purpose of the footage of the challenge that led to Manchester City defender Rico Lewis being sent off during their opening match with Wydad Casablanca was broadcast - but the red card had already been shown. Former international referee Pierluigi Collina says the technology is mainly an entertainment it will do, Fifa believes, is show the game from a unique vantage point and "enhance the storytelling". Eight-second rule for goalkeepers "This is big drama," said DAZN co-commentator Michael Brown as Al Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou became the second goalkeeper to concede a corner by failing to release the ball within eight happened in the 96th minute of the Saudi Arabian club's 1-1 draw with Spanish giants Real Madrid - and could have proved Club World Cup is among the summer tournaments at which the new eight-second rule is being applied to goalkeepers for the first per the International Football Association Board (Ifab) rules: "A corner kick is awarded if a goalkeeper, inside their penalty area, controls the ball with their hand(s)/arm(s) for more than eight seconds before releasing it."The referee will decide when the goalkeeper has control of the ball and the eight seconds begin and will visually count down the last five seconds with a raised hand."Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams became the first to fall foul of the rule when he was penalised in the final 10 minutes of his side's 1-0 win over against Ulsan rule is also in place for the Under-21s European Championship - but no-one has been punished as yet. VAR replays shown in stadium As in previous Fifa tournaments, the on-pitch referee will communicate VAR decisions - and the reasons for them - to supporters in the the first time, fans at the match will be able to see the replays the officials are being there will still be no broadcast of the discussions in the VAR urged patience for those who cannot understand why football is not yet implementing something commonplace in rugby, cricket and all major American sports."I cannot tell you if something more might be added in the future," he said. "But we need to do it when we are sure this will not affect the decision-making process." Quicker offside decisions Officials are using an accelerated semi-automated offside technology that will tell them to stop the game immediately if a player who is more than 10cm offside touches the is aimed at reducing needless referees will receive the notification instantly rather than having to wait for the technology to check positions and distances - as is the case with semi-automated offside (SAO) systems used in most major was introduced into the Premier League on 12 introduction of the enhanced SAO comes after Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi suffered a serious abdominal injury against Leicester Nigerian crashed into the post after play was allowed to continue despite a player being in an offside position. Superior Player of the Match award The Superior Player Award is given to the player of the match from each game - and is decided by a public vote is open between minutes 60 and 88 via FIFA+.Winners of the Superior Player Award at the Club World Cup so far include Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Vitinha (Paris St-Germain), Pedro Neto (Chelsea) and Phil Foden (Manchester City).Its name stems from tournament sponsors Michelob - an American beer name 'Man of the Match' was changed to 'Player of the Match' at the 2022 World Inter Miami's 0-0 draw with Al Ahly in the opening game of the tournament, Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari was the first player named Superior Player of the Match.
Daily Mirror
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Man City star disagrees with Chelsea rival and makes Club World Cup demand
Manchester City star Nathan Ake and Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia have given their thoughts on the individual pre-match walkouts that FIFA have introduced for the Club World Cup Manchester City's Nathan Ake has disagreed with Chelsea star Romeo Lavia over the Club World Cup's use of individual pre-match walkouts. FIFA's newly revamped tournament has made player introductions a big thing, with each one taking it in turns to walk out in front of the crowd ahead of games. And it seems as though the walkouts have received a mixed reaction from the players themselves, with Ake and Lavia delivering different verdicts on the concept when asked if the Premier League should embrace it. "I'm not sure," Ake said after City beat Moroccan side Wydad AC 2-0 in their Club World Cup opener. "To be honest, the Premier League, keep it how it is and what we do now. I think, keep it as it is." However, Lavia believes the walkouts were "something special" and has suggested the Premier League should introduce something similar. "It's something special and new for us," the Chelsea midfielder said. "It's a first for us. I enjoyed it. Why not bring it to the Premier League? I mean, it's a bit of a showbiz thing, isn't it? I quite like it. The only difference is if we did it in the Premier League, we might get a bit cold! "Because once you're out there, you have to wait for maybe the other players. But apart from that, it was good. I guess we always learn new things from international tournaments and that's what makes it special. "Even before arriving here, we understood how big this competition was. It's great to see. We've watched some of the other Club World Cup games on TV as well. We're happy to be here. "They are all great games and at a good level. And I think every team has got different qualities because they're coming from a different environment. So it's nice to watch because you don't get to see all these teams often." Chelsea also won their tournament opener, beating LAFC 2-0 in Atlanta, and they are now set to take on Flamengo in Philadelphia on Friday. And Blues boss Enzo Maresca is expecting Flamengo to provide a tough test. "They are a very good team, they play nice football and they have many good players," Maresca said. "Their manager is a former player, who played for many years in Europe, so I know him. They are well organised and, like any Brazilian team, full of very good players."
