Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca hailed Joao Pedro after the new signing’s double strike secured a 2-0 win over Fluminense in the semi-final of the Club World Cup on Tuesday.
Pedro, who made his first start for the team after arriving from Brighton and Hove Albion, produced two superb finishes (18th min and 56th minute) to send the Blues into the final.
“I am very happy for Joao. He has the quality to decide games like today. We brought him in because this season we faced many teams with low blocks and his quality is very good against these kinds of teams,” Maresca said of the 23-year-old striker.
Pedro, however, did not celebrate his goals out of respect for the Rio de Janeiro-based club, with whom he started his career before moving to England with Watford in 2020.
“When I was young they gave everything to me, they showed me to the world,” he said after collecting his award for player of the match. “If I am here now it is because they believed in me, so, I am very grateful, but this is football, I feel sorry for [eliminating] them, but I have to do my job,” he added.
Fluminense coach Renato Portaluppi was disappointed with his team’s exit, but felt they had ‘regained credibility’ for Brazilian football. “Our campaign was wonderful. We overcame some major opponents and go out with our heads held high,” said Portaluppi.
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