Chelsea outcast 'banished' from the Club World Cup by Enzo Maresca has still turned up at the tournament

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Chelsea outcast 'banished' from the Club World Cup by Enzo Maresca has still turned up at the tournament

The player was excluded from Chelsea's Club World Cup squad.

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar

A Chelsea outcast who was 'banished' from the Club World Cup by Enzo Maresca has appeared at the tournament despite not being in their squad.

Chelsea have arrived in the United States for the Club World Cup following a stellar 2024/25 campaign, which saw the Blues qualify for the Champions League and win the Conference League.

The Italian coach has named a strong squad for the Club World Cup, with Cole Palmer and summer signing Liam Delap making the cut.

But Maresca excluded several big-name players, including Kendry Paez, who is thought to be 'disappointed' about not being involved.

Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic and forward Raheem Sterling were also left out.

Not to mention Joao Felix, who spent the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan.

Joao Felix was sent out on loan to AC Milan during the January transfer window. Image: Getty
Joao Felix was sent out on loan to AC Milan during the January transfer window. Image: Getty

Felix, 25, made 20 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea before being shipped out on loan.

His future appears to lie away from Stamford Bridge, with a summer move expected.

Even though he wasn't named in Maresca's squad, Felix has jetted out to the United States for the Club World Cup.

He was in the crowd for the opening fixture of the competition between Inter Miami and Al Ahly.

Felix shared footage inside the Hard Rock Stadium on social media.



Maresca, meanwhile, claims his team are fully focused on the Club World Cup following a successful debut season at Chelsea.

"We had a few days off after the Conference League final. But then we returned and we started to prepare for this competition. It was so quick [the turnaround] and we needed to be ready," he said.

"The good thing is that we finished the Premier League and the Conference League in the way we all wanted, so now we have arrived with a good feeling and are fully focused on this competition."

Chelsea begin their Club World Cup campaign on Monday against MLS side Los Angeles FC. They then face Brazilian outfit Flamengo before meeting Tunisian club ES Tunis.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Chelsea, Football, Enzo Maresca, Joao Felix

Nasir Jabbar
Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Darren Till. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

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