As Chelsea's players walked purposefully onto the pitch at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium this evening, the sun setting over the steep west stand and a surprisingly cool wind gusting around them, any suggestion from back home that this step into the relative unknown was somehow not of utmost importance seemed way off the mark.
Not with the words of Cesar Azpilicueta, who tasted defeat in Chelsea’s only other appearance at the Club World Cup, ringing in their ears. “Losing that one in 2012 hurt a lot and this is the only competition the club hasn't won,” the captain said a few minutes before training. “To win it for the first time for the club is huge.
"When we're young, we think we have more opportunities but with time you see how difficult it is not only to win trophies but to get into finals. Sometimes you can win, sometimes you can lose, but this kind of tournament is not like a normal cup you play every year. Every competition we enter we want to win and this is a rare one we've not played for ten years. Everyone is aware how difficult it is and that we can't miss the chance."
