Chelsea LAFC Maresca Giroud
(Credit: Channel5/DAZN and Imago)
Keith Hackett
Mon 16 June 2025 22:33, UK
Keith Hackett believes Olivier Giroud will have earned his LAFC side a fine with his actions against former club Chelsea in the Club World Cup.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider referee Jesus Valenzuela Saez should not have held up the restart after half time because Giroud was not ready to come on.
Both sides got their Club World Cup campaign underway on Monday (16 June) when they faced off in Atlanta.
The competition’s new theme of introducing each player individually raised eyebrows before the first half, with Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella caught in the spotlight as the first man out.
There was then another talking point over the way the game waited to get back underway in the second half.
Olivier Giroud’s reunion with his former club was unexpectedly held up
Olivier Giroud causes hold up in Chelsea vs LAFC
At half time, both sides would make changes, with Malo Gusto and Enzo Fernandez both entering the pitch to replace Reece James and Romeo Lavia, immediately after the others who had started the game.
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However, there was then a delay as former Chelsea man Giroud was left standing on the touchline without his LAFC shirt to wear.
That led to the referee delaying the restart for several minutes, as Noni Madueke was one to remonstrate with him, while a member of the MLS side’s staff returned to the dressing to the dressing room to retrieve a shirt for the Frenchman.
Hackett though, has criticised the officials for allowing that delay rather than simply starting the game without Giroud on the pitch, suggesting that will now lead to punishment for his side.
Gusto and Fernandez on HT, for James and Lavia.
Giroud was warming up in his kit at HT for LAFC but is now standing on the touchline, shirtless, with a perplexed look on his face. We're not sure either…
— Peter Rutzler (@peterrutzler) June 16, 2025
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Keith Hackett reacts to Club World Cup incident
After being asked by Football Insider what he made of the fact that the referee holding up the restart for the LAFC striker, the ex-official said: “The referee should not have delayed the restart of the game because a substitute was not ready to enter the field of play appropriately dressed.
“The referee needs to receive some operational advice on the importance of ensuring that the game kicks off at the appropriate time.
“The competition should issue a fine to the club for failing to have their team ready for the restart of the game. Poorly handled by the match officials.”
Once the second half got underway, Enzo Fernandez added to Pedro Neto’s first half goal to give Chelsea a 2-0 win over LAFC to secure a winning start to their Club World Cup campaign.
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