A renowned sports pundit, Steve Nicole, has come under heavy criticism from Chelsea fans over a comment he made concerning the team's ability to clinch the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

During an analysis on Spanish media outlet Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) on July 17, 2025, the former footballer asserted that the poor nature of the pitch in the United States of America (USA) helped Chelsea win the tournament.

According to him, when Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and other teams the Blues defeated play brilliantly on their usual pitches in their home grounds, their performance is better than they did in the US.

The former Sheffield Wednesday player added that the turf quality annoyed him a lot and that he believes it favored Chelsea to thrash PSG 3-0 to win the maiden FIFA Club World Cup tournament.

"Another thing that annoyed me is the fact that they laid turf on our grass fields on top of turf. It changes the game. That's not how these teams play, regardless of what country they're in. That's not how they play the game.

"The only reason Chelsea won is because of the field. If you keep banging those balls, knowing the ball would stay in bounds, it wouldn't go outside. I just couldn't take it seriously enough," Nicole said during the discussion.

His remark did not sit well with Chelsea fans who took to the comment section on X to express their displeasure.

They questioned his intellect and knowledge of sports, saying his comments show he is incompetent and does not deserve to sit on television to analyse sporting issues.

Others fumed that either he personally dislikes the club or supports London rivals Arsenal, hence spewing such an unprofessional remark to discredit Chelsea for their success.

SB/AME

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