Chelsea star admits players struggled to BREATHE in Club World Cup semi-final

Chelsea defender Malo Gusto says it was so hot in theirClub World Cupsemi final that they struggled to breathe. The scorching temperatures in the MetLife Stadium reached more than 100 degrees at pitch level and the players were given regular hydration breaks.

But it was an eye-opener ahead of next summer’s World Cup with a storm warning also in place as there was thunder and lightning straight after the game.

Gusto says it has been tough throughout the tournament and the weather has played a huge part as Chelsea’slast 16 tie with Benfica was delayed for nearly two hours because of storms.

France international Gusto said: “It’s so difficult on the pitch, it was hard to breathe and we are happy to come through it and go through.

"It's complicated to play in these kind of conditions. It happens, it's for all the teams. The most important thing is that we did the job tonight and we will try to win this final and win the trophy.

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“The US is always good. We are used to coming here in pre-season. We know it's a different climate, a different energy. It's up to us to finish with that and give our best. We’ve got to stay focused on ourselves and stick to our plan and give everything.”

Gusto admits that Chelsea face a difficult final and will be underdogs in the MetLife on Sunday but they are determined to finish the job.

It is difficult to say exactly how much clubs have earned so far because no-one knows their “base earnings” when they enter the tournament which is judged on success, income and club size.

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Chelsea have earned far in excess of £60m - potentially up to £80m - but the winner will get a £97m jackpot for lifting the trophy on Sunday.

Gusto added: “We are improving all the time. It doesn’t matter who we face in the final. We just want to win. I will give everything and make sure we win and then try to win the trophy. It will be very complicated in the final but if we carry on doing our jobs then we believe we can win and lift the trophy. I’m excited.”

Gusto also paid tribute to two-goal hero Joao Pedro who got both goals on his first start for Chelsea just days after joining in a £60m deal.

He added: “Top talent, everyone knows and we have a lot of top players as everyone knows but the most important thing is to create a team atmosphere, a strong understanding and good team spirit.”

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