Chelsea players had to evacuate their training ground hours before their Premier League match against Sunderland. The west London players were scheduled to train on Friday afternoon, but preparations were halted due to safety concerns at the Cobham facility. An alarm went off in the pool area of the complex, fearing a chlorine leak.
Players and staff were ordered to evacuate the building while firefighters rushed to the scene to investigate. Many of Chelsea’s stars are believed to have already been in their training kits when the incident occurred. Firefighters later confirmed it was a false alarm and everyone was allowed to return to the building to retrieve their belongings.
According to The Sun, Chelsea players were able to take part in a training session scheduled for 3pm despite the suspension.
In a statement, the Blues said: “The fire service was called to an automatic alarm at Chelsea FC’s Cobham training facility. As a precautionary measure, all staff were safely evacuated.”
“Emergency services confirmed the false alarm and staff and players were able to return to the building.”
Chelsea’s training facility features a 56-foot-long, state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool. They are equipped with underwater treadmills and cameras to help people recover from serious injuries, ensuring staff can monitor their progress.
The Blues will be hoping Friday’s incident does not affect their performance against Sunderland, who have lost just two of their eight league games since being promoted at the end of last season.
Enzo Maresca was asked about the Black Cats in a press conference and said, “I think they’ve been a very good team since the season started and they’ve shown that they’re playing together, working together and playing as a team.”
“Also, in terms of results, they have the same points as us, so they have shown good form from the start of the game, but this is a Premier League game and I don’t think there are any easy games, they are all difficult games.”
“I spent one season in the Championship with Leicester and I love the Championship so I always watch the Championship, whether it’s playing in the Premier League or the Champions League. So I’ve been watching Sunderland as well since last season when they had a new manager.”
“They have done very well not only this season but also from last season. They are playing good football, very strong and physical, so I really like the way they are doing it.”
