LOS ANGELES: Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said the atmosphere at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was “a bit strange” as his side began their Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC in front of swathes of empty seats.
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The multi-purpose stadium has a 71,000 capacity but Monday’s group stage match, which kicked-off at 3 p.m., attracted little over 22,000 spectators.
Atlanta is over 2,000 miles (3,220 km) away from Los Angeles, where Major League Soccer club LAFC are based.
“It was a good match, a good performance,” Maresca told reporters. “I think the environment was a bit strange. The stadium was almost empty. Not full.”
