"They don’t get anywhere near enough respect for that" - Peter Crouch claims Chelsea don't get enough credit for feat over the summer

Peter Crouch has claimed that Chelsea don't get enough credit for winning the FIFA Club World Cup in the summer. He said that they don't get enough respect because it was the inaugural edition of the new format of the tournament.

The Blues largely performed brilliantly at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. In the group stage, they beat LAFC 2-0 and ES Tunis 3-0, but lost 3-1 against Flamengo. They still qualified for the Round of 16, where they beat Benfica 4-1.

They then beat Palmeiras 2-1 in the quarter-finals and Fluminense 2-0 in the semi-finals. Chelsea then beat Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) 3-0 in the final. In the recent episode of That Peter Crouch Podcast, Crouch was asked if the Blues get the credit they deserve for winning the tournament. He answered:

“No, they don’t get anywhere near enough respect for that, really. It’s a brand new tournament and no one knows what the hell it was. So they don’t, I mean, it’s not like a Champions League winner.

“I think the respect, I think the longer the competition goes on, it will gain a lot of respect. But there was a lot of teams, top teams, not in it, right? You can’t be world champions if all the best teams aren’t in it.”

Chelsea's win over PSG, notably, stopped the French giants from winning a sextuple last season. They won all three domestic trophies, the UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Super Cup.

Jamie Carragher slammed Chelsea, labeled Club World Cup a 'Mickey Mouse' trophy

Pundits Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards were engaged in a debate after Chelsea's 3-1 defeat at Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League on September 17. Carragher was displeased with how the Blues have worked under Todd Boehly & Co. in recent years, spending over £2 billion.

Richards then said that they have won two trophies last season. Carragher replied:

"A Mickey Mouse trophy"

He criticized the Blues' owners, saying:

“They then change that manager [Thomas Tuchel], they then take a team who were very close to competing and winning trophies like they did the Champions League, and they go and spend £2billion.

“They are no closer, they are further away than what that manager was doing three-and-a-half years ago in terms of competing with the top teams in the Premier League, they are further away having spent £2bn.”

Chelsea also won the UEFA Europa Conference League last season.

About the author

Aditya has been working as a European football journalist and editor for Sportskeeda for close to 4 years. He boasts a total experience of over 7 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.

A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya's journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur's front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect's with the club's underdog status.

Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda 'Long-form Editor of the Month' award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric's elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.

Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.

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Edited by Aditya Singh