The FIFA Club World Cup, initially set to be held in Japan in December, will now be held in the United Arab Emirates in February, world football’s governing body announced Monday.The Club World Cup will run from February 3-12, featuring eight matches between the champions of the six continental confederations along with the top team in the host nation.Teams include Champions League winners Chelsea, Copa Libertadores champions Palmeiras of Brazil, Mexican club Monterrey and Al-Ahly of Egypt.Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, Emirati club Al Jazira and Auckland complete the line up.Japan pulled out as host because of the Covid-19 pandemic.🏆 FIFA Club World Cup dates:📅 FIFA have announced that the competition will take place between 3rd and 12th February 2022. pic.twitter.com/jSxWAHLOpG— CFC-Blues ⭐️⭐️ (@CFCBlues_com) November 29, 2021 The Club World Cup is usually played in December, but this is the second successive year in which it has been delayed – the 2020 edition in Qatar was played in February this year.A lucrative, revamped 24-team Club World Cup, including eight sides from Europe, was due to be played in China this year before the pandemic put that project on hold.Chelsea will have to reschedule two Premier League games and possibly a FA Cup tie.The Blues will travel to the United Arab Emirates for the FIFA tournament between February 3 and 12, having won the Champions League back in May.It means that the tight schedule could affect the current Premier League leaders’ title battle against Liverpool and Manchester City.Chelsea will enter the intercontinental tournament at the semi-final stage.WORLD DOMINATION ✔️@FCBayern win the Club World Cup 🌐 pic.twitter.com/J7dmNlCqTc— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 11, 2021 On each of the last eight editions of the tournament, the European champions have won the Club World Cup – last February, Bayern Munich lifted the trophy in Qatar.The last English team to win the Club World Cup were Liverpool in 2019 and it happened while the tournament was held in the middle of December.Back then, Liverpool had to rearrange their fixtures but managed to move only one league game but could not move their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash.That meant that Jurgen Klopp’s first-team had to play twice in the space of 24 hours. A group of youngsters turned out against Villa for the cup clash, before the first-team played in the Club World Cup half way across the globe – Liverpool went on to win the planetary trophy in the Middle East while the cup team were thrashed 5-0 by a full-strength Aston Villa side.The only other English club to win the tournament back in 2008 were Manchester United – Chelsea had a chance in 2012 when they reached the final of the tournament (played in Japan) but lost to Corinthians 1-0.Back in 2005, Liverpool also lost a final to Brazilian opposition in the form of Sao Paulo.© Agence France-Presse
