Enzo Fernandez was overcome by emotion as Chelsea won the Club World Cup on Sunday, in tears on the pitch and then in rowdy mood on social media.
The Blues brilliantly beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final in New Jersey, upsetting the odds against the Champions League holders who had looked in brilliant form in America.
Cole Palmer scored twice and summer signing Joao Pedro netted the third on a fantastic day for the west London club, despite the ugly scenes at the end of the match.
Leaving the States as champions meant Chelsea earned a very useful £84.7m for their efforts, already going a long way to funding the signings of Pedro from Brighton and Liam Delap from Ipswich Town.
While there were plenty of question marks over the revamped Club World Cup when it got underway this summer, it clearly meant a lot to the players who got their hands on the remarkable new trophy.
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Fernandez, who is already a World Cup winner with Argentina, was in tears at the MetLife Stadium after the final whistle and was clearly very proud of his club later on social media.
Posting alongside a string of celebratory pictures, Fernandez wrote on Instagram: ‘MY F***ING TEAM 💙🏆’
The 24-year-old opened up on having a difficult time when he first arrived at Chelsea from Benfica in a £106m deal in 2023.
The midfielder made something of a slow start after the huge move and admits that he was struggling with adapting to life in the Premier League.
His outpouring of emotion on Sunday will have partly been down to overcoming that difficult time in impressive style.
‘The first few years were tough for me; I had a bad time,’ Fernandez told D Sports. ‘I really didn’t feel good, I wasn’t right with myself. I didn’t feel comfortable in games. I had to start training more, preparing more during the week, and doing extra workouts.
‘The truth is, I don’t think the pace of the Premier League is played anywhere else in the world. It wasn’t right for me; in the first year I felt like I wasn’t right. I didn’t feel well, I even had injuries and everything.
‘That’s where the work began. I started contacting coaches until I found the right one. I felt good for two or three weeks and over time I started seeing results and feeling good on the pitch.
‘Today I think I’ve achieved something very good this season on a personal level and very good things in terms of assists, goals and titles with the club. It’s obviously what I’ve been looking for since I arrived.
‘I knew I was coming to a very big club like Chelsea, which was in a difficult situation, but the owner showed me his projects, what he had in mind for the future and I think we’re finding that today, so I’m very happy.’
Manager Enzo Maresca was also delighted, hailing his team’s victory over what he considers to be the best side in the world.
‘We are very happy. Especially for doing it against PSG. As I said before, I consider them the best team in the world with one of the best managers in the world, fantastic players. So it was a top achievement,’ said the Italian.
‘Had you told me we were going to be winning 3-0 in the first half, of course I would not have expected that, but I knew we were going to compete because that’s what we’re here for. I know that our squad can really compete against really talented teams.
‘We are very happy. I have always said we are proud to be here playing in this competition. We spent one month here and in the end it was worth it.’