Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior said his team’s “amazing achievement” in winning last year’s Club World Cup by beating Paris Saint-Germain in the final would have no bearing when the sides meet again in the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday.
The reigning European champions welcome Chelsea to the Parc des Princes for the first leg on Wednesday, eight months after the London side won 3-0 at the MetLife Stadium just outside New York and then celebrated with the trophy on the podium alongside Donald Trump.
“I was in my front room back in Derby and it was a great game between two fantastic teams,” Rosenior said Tuesday when asked for his recollection of that match, and for his view on the US President gatecrashing the celebrations.
“I was focused on the football. I was delighted for the team, and it wasn’t about who was on the stage — in terms of politics and what I think, it is always with respect for a different idea.”
He went on: “It was an outstanding performance from the guys on the day but I don’t think it has much relevance today, the context is completely different.”
Rosenior replaced Enzo Maresca as Chelsea boss in January as he joined from Strasbourg, who belong to the same BlueCo consortium that is in charge at Stamford Bridge.
He visited the Chelsea camp during the Club World Cup, watching them train and attending their last-16 win over Benfica.
“To see the guys go on and win the trophy was magnificent, it was an amazing achievement for the club and we want to create many more memories like that in the future,” he said on his return to France.
The 41-year-old did well against PSG during his 18 months with Strasbourg, beating them at home last season and coming away with a 3-3 draw from the Parc des Princes in October.
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Luis Enrique’s side have struggled to rediscover last season’s remarkable form which led them to a first Champions League title, but Rosenior is full of admiration for the Spanish coach and his side.
“I think PSG were so good last year. Obviously I was here in this country witnessing them go through their journey to win the Champions League and I was admiring it as the Strasbourg manager,” Rosenior said.
The Parisians lost 3-1 to Monaco in Ligue 1 last weekend have won just two of their last seven Champions League matches.
“When you are a top-level club and things are not going so well, people will speak about it more, but in terms of the quality of the team, they are world class and it would be crazy to expect anything else.
“I expect a very difficult challenge, tactically, physically, technically.
“They have world-class players and a world-class manager, and it will be a great game for the neutral -– we just have to remember there are two legs and we have to make sure we have discipline in that respect,” he added, with the return leg set for next week.
Returning to the Club World Cup final, in which PSG’s Joao Neves sent off late on before Luis Enrique became involved in an on-pitch altercation with Chelsea’s Joao Pedro at full time, Rosenior said there would be no potential for needle this time.
“If you are at the top level, you need passion and to want to win,” he insisted.
The Chelsea boss also said Levi Colwill was back training and that Jamie Gittens was available again, but he refused to indicate who would start in goal between Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen — the latter started the last Premier League game at Aston Villa.
