Fifa Club World Cup 2021 kicks off in the United Arab Emirates (in 2022)
The 2021 Club World Cup will be held in the United Arab Emirates from 3 to 12 February. For Jorginho will be the golden opportunity to make up for two big disappointments: that of the Golden Ball awarded to Leo Messi, of course, but before that the failure of the Italian national team to directly qualify for the World Cup Qatar 2022, due to the two penalties that he himself failed against Swiss, between there and back. To console himself with nothing better than a world championship … waiting to play the playoffs with the blue shirt.
Which teams participate in the Club World Cup?
Jorginho will lead the Chelsea who takes part in the event as the holder of the European Champions League. The Brazilians of the team will contend for the title against Thomas Tuchel’s team Palmeiras (winners of the Copa Libertadores), the Egyptians of theAl Ahly (African champions), the Saudis ofAl Hilal (champions of Asia), the Mexicans of Monterrey (winners of the Concacaf Champions League), the New Zealanders ofAuckland City (champions of Oceania), andAl Jazira (champion of the host country, the United Arab Emirates). The inaugural match, on February 3, will see the hosts against Auckland City, while Chelsea and Palmeiras will enter the game only in the semifinals, in homage to the blazon of Europe and South America, which for many years have competed for the Intercontinental Cup. forerunner of the current Club World Cup.
Why is the 2021 edition taking place in 2022?
For some time, Fifa has decided to change the format of the Club World Cup, expanding participation to well 24 teams, in place of the current seven. The first edition with the new formula should have been that of 2021, which in the original plans would have been brought forward to the summer and held in China. The infamous events of Covid-19, however, forced the postponement to the end of the year, with the return to the old formula, due to lack of time, and the move to Japan. However, even the Japanese had to surrender to the health emergency, withdrawing just three months after the start of the event. At this point, FIFA quickly had to fall back on an emergency solution, which was identified in the United Arab Emirates, a country that has already successfully hosted the event and that still has a great desire (and money) to see great football in its stadiums. The debut of the new 24-team formula has therefore been postponed to 2022, although serious calendar problems remain, given that the world championship will also be played next year for national teams, the first in history scheduled for winter.
Gianni Infantino and Fifa’s “African sickness”
The calendar problems certainly do not end there. The new dates of the Club World Cup overlap with those of the Africa Cup of Nations, also postponed in 2021 due to the pandemic and moved to the period from January 9 to February 6. In addition to the usual intersection with the national championships, there is also the one with the world championship and this obviously does not please any of the clubs involved. The problem is not “only” for the Al Ahly, but for example also for the Chelsea, which has Mendy (Senegal) and Ziyech (Morocco) in the squad and the same can be said for other participants in the Club World Cup. For this reason the President of Fifa Gianni Infantino he tried to get the postponement of the African Cup at the last minute, receiving a sharp refusal from those who are (understandably) tired of seeing their interests sacrificed to those of the richest clubs, starting with the European ones.
Old acquaintances, from Eto’o to Melo
The Black Continent tournament will therefore be held regularly from 9 January to 6 February in Cameroon. It will be a great debut for the former Interista Samuel Eto’o, who on 11 December was elected president of the local football federation. Speaking of old acquaintances, the only team that will not be damaged by the concomitance with the African Cup is Palmeiras, which has no Africans in the squad and which is captained by Felipe Melo, ex Fiorentina, Inter and Juventus. This advantage slightly balances a prediction that would otherwise be largely favorable to Chelsea, in the wake of a trend that has seen European teams triumph in the last eight editions, up to the success of Bayern in 2020.
Inter, Milan and Juve in the history of the tournament
The last South American success dates back to 2012, when the Brazilians of Corinthians defeated the Chelsea. In 2010 there was instead the last Italian call, with Mourinho’s Inter which completed its history Triplets. The Nerazzurri were also the first Italian team to win the trophy, when it was still called Intercontinental Cup, making a brace in 1964 and 1965, again against Independiente. In 1969 it was the turn of the Milan cousins, at the end of a bloody double confrontation with Estudiantes, then it had to wait until 1985, when the Juventus by Platini won on penalties against Argentinos Juniors. In 1989 and 1990 the Milan by Arrigo Sacchi extended the series with two more consecutive successes, while Juve’s encore came in 1996 against River Plate, thanks to the ring of Alessandro Del Piero. In the era of the Club World Cup (or Fifa Club World Cup, as per official documents), Italy has won two more times: with Milan in 2007 and precisely with Inter in 2010. Today, unfortunately, we have to look at the foreign clubs and, perhaps, console us by cheering for the blue Jorginho.
Roll of honor Intercontinental Cup
1960 – Real Madrid
1961 – Penarol
1962 – Santos
1963 – Santos
1964 – Inter
1965 – Inter
1966 – Penarol
1967 – Racing Club
1968 – Estudiantes
1969 – Milan
1970 – Feyenoord
1971 – Nacional
1972 – Ajax
1973 – Estudiantes
1974 – Atletico Madrid
1976 – Bayern Munich
1977 – Boca Juniors
1979 – Olympia
1980 – Nacional
1981 – Flamengo
1982- Penarol
1983 – Gremio
1984 – Estudiantes
1985 – Juventus
1986 – River Plate
1987 – Porto
1988 – Nacional
1989 – Milan
1990 – Milan
1991 – Red Star
1992 – San Paolo
1993 – San Paolo
1994 – Velez
1995 – Ajax
1996 – Juventus
1997 – Borussia Dortmund
1998 – Real Madrid
1999 – Manchester United
2000 – Boca Juniors
2001 – Bayern Munich
2002 – Real Madrid
2003 – Boca Juniors
2004 – Porto
World Club Hall of Fame
2005 – San Paolo
2006 – Internacional
2007 – Milan
2008 – Manchester United
2009 – Barcelona
2010 – Inter
2011 – Barcelona
2012 – Corinthias
2013 – Bayern Munich
2014 – Real Madrid
2015 – Barcelona
2016 – Real Madrid
2017 – Real Madrid
2018 – Real Madrid
2019 – Liverpool
2020 – Bayern Munich
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