The 2013 Premier League season is in the books. Now, Chelsea FC return to the pitch with hopes of embarking on a league-title run in 2014. The club is continuing its summer tour this afternoon and will face Turkish outfit Fenerbahce. The club friendly scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET will be held at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul and can be live streamed here.
Charity is the name of the game in Istanbul this afternoon. A joint effort by Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Chelsea will allow the clubs to raise funds for the families affected by the Soma mining disaster. For Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, it's an opportunity to show how footballers can make a difference both on and off the pitch.
"From the human perspective, Chelsea is always ready to participate in a tournament of human solidarity," Mourinho said (via the Daily Star). "If you can call it that. It's important to show football can make a difference, can make an impact in this case for the victims. Football clubs, football players are always ready to make a difference."
"The players are ready to help," he added. "You see this in so many cases. Sometimes they do it individually, sometimes they do it in their holiday period. In this case, it's both things at the same time. The club is ready. The players are obviously ready."
The tournament will offer its own unique set of rules. Each match will last just 45 minutes, and each club will play two matches for a total of 90 minutes. There are no penalties, nor extra time. Teams are awarded three points for a win and one for a draw.
In the end, it's the families of the Soma mining disaster that will win.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
