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Joao Pedro Slams Luis Enrique After Club World Cup Final Altercation

Ritam Dey

Chelsea Star Claims PSG “Don’t Know How to Lose” Following Heated Scenes

Joao Pedro has hit out at Luis Enrique and Paris Saint-Germain after ugly scenes marred the end of Chelsea’s 3-0 victory in the Club World Cup final. The Brazilian forward, who scored one of the goals in the win, accused the French side of being poor losers, following a scuffle that saw Luis Enrique slap Pedro in the face.

Chelsea stunned PSG with a dominant first-half performance at the MetLife Stadium in New York, becoming the first English team to win the expanded FIFA Club World Cup twice. Goals from Cole Palmer (2) and Pedro himself sealed a historic win for Enzo Maresca’s side and showcased the Premier League club’s growing strength under their new manager.

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Post-Match Chaos: Enrique Slaps Pedro

But celebrations were dampened by a post-match confrontation involving PSG players Gianluigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi, who confronted Chelsea youngster Andrey Santos. Joao Pedro stepped in to defend his teammate, but things escalated quickly.

“I went to protect Andrey, I saw their players crowding him,” Pedro told Sportv. “Like a good Brazilian, I went to protect my friend. A lot of people were arriving, and in that mess, I ended up getting shoved. It’s part of it. They didn’t know how to lose, but that’s football.”

Footage showed Luis Enrique arriving and appearing to slap Pedro, before being held back by defender Presnel Kimpembe. The PSG coach’s reaction is expected to trigger disciplinary action from both FIFA and his own club.

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Chelsea Earn Record Club World Cup Prize

In addition to lifting the trophy, Chelsea also secured a massive £87.5 million (€100m) in prize money from the tournament — a financial boost to go along with the silverware.

As for PSG, despite their Champions League title earlier this year, this defeat and the fallout from Enrique’s behavior leave a serious blot on their post-season image.