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It took him 19 years, but Román Abramóvich is already at the top.
He has already won everything with Chelsea, which settled a pending account with the Club World Cup, in which 14 of the last 15 wounded have gone to European territory.
The only failure had been that of the London team in 2012, surpassed by Corinthians.
On this occasion, against another São Paulo team, Palmeiras, he was finally able to celebrate.
He must have waited, yes, at the end of the extension.
It was then, in the 117th minute, three of the shootout when that epilogue avoided a penalty goal from Havertz, the same protagonist that gave him the Champions League title against Manchester City.
CHEchelsea
two
Edouard Mendy, Rüdiger, A. Christensen (Malang Sarr, min. 90), Thiago Silva, Kovacic (Hakim Ziyech, min. 90), Kante, Azpilicueta, Callum Hudson Odoi (Saúl, min. 76), Lukaku (Timo Werner, min. 75), Mason Mount (Christian Pulisic, min. 30) and Kai Havertz
PAL Palmeiras
one
Weverton, Gustavo Gómez, Marcos Rocha (Deyverson, min. 117), Luan Garcia, Gustavo Scarpa, Joaquiín Piquerez Moreira, Rony (Wesley, min. 76), Ze Rafael (Jailson, min. 59), Dudu (Rafael Navarro, min. 102), Danilo and Raphael Veiga (Eduard Atuesta, min. 77)
Goals
1-0 min.
54: Lukaku.
1-1 min.
63: Raphael Veiga.
2-1 min.
116: Kai Havertz.
Yellow cards Wesley (min. 104), Luan Garcia (min. 114), Eduard Atuesta (min. 115) and Kai Havertz (min. 117)
Red cards Luan Garcia (min. 125)
The match was an ordeal for Chelsea, who passed helplessly against a withdrawn rival who decided to attack with more enthusiasm than play.
A quarter of a century ago, Palmeiras was one of the best teams on the planet, with Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo and Djalminha in their ranks and Wanderley Luxemburg on the wing as the standard-bearer for the football that was to come.
Everything has changed in that time, globalization, also for the ball, has opened a gap between rich and poor.
Now, to compete against a European rival, the once fanciful Palmeiras has to bow down and suffer.
He knew how to do it on the back of his fans, present in large numbers in Abu Dhabi.
The Club World Cup, like the old Intercontinental Cup, was always more valued on the other side of the pond.
Palmeiras grew in the game from the gasoline of illusion, which has the modesty of wanting to look a millionaire in the eye.
And he had the fortune to return to the list when he already seemed out of it.
Because in a match without scoring chances, Chelsea scored, thanks to a header from Lukaku.
He was able to sentence Havertz before a theatrical blow, an absurd penalty by Thiago Silva that the video arbitration detected.
The veteran Brazilian central defender turned to a dispute after a cross into the area with his arm raised and gave life to Palmeiras, who scored from eleven meters through Raphael Veiga.
The new tables placed the game back on the starting square.
Palmeiras was closed, applied in aid and denied the centers to the area.
Tuchel ended up withdrawing Lukaku, who had a troop of rivals on him, and looking for other options with Werner.
But there was no case.
Extra time directed the game towards a penalty shootout until Azpilicueta found a shot that hit the defender Luan's arm, who although he tried to remove it, had it deployed, taking up space.
Havertz's legs did not shake at the penalty shot and Chelsea became only the third English team to win the trophy that identifies the champions among champions.
Manchester United and Liverpool got it before.
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