Liam Delap and Dario Essugo: From relegation heartbreak to Club World Cup triumph

A stunning reversal of fortunes in a matter of weeks. That's the story this summer for Liam Delap and Dario Essugo, two players who, despite playing more peripheral roles than their Chelsea teammates, can now proudly call themselves Club World Cup champions after arriving at Stamford Bridge in June.

While Joao Pedro's impact – signed before the tournament's knockout stages and decisive in the semi-final and final – has stolen the headlines, the story of these two players is truly remarkable. Only days ago, their joy had been overshadowed by tears of sadness and frustration.

Both Delap and Essugo lifted the Club World Cup trophy after ending the season with their previous clubs suffering relegation from the Premier League and La Liga, respectively.

Despite his own strong performances, scoring 12 goals in the English league, the English forward could not prevent Ipswich Town's relegation to the Championship before signing for the Blues. The team finished a significant 16 points adrift of safety.

The same fate befell the Portuguese youth international midfielder, who, despite his strong performances and emergence as one of the competition's breakout talents, could not prevent Las Palmas' relegation from Spain's top flight.

Now, weeks later, those moments are a distant memory, and sadness has given way to pure joy for two players who, in the space of 343 minutes (Delap playing 306 and Essugo 37, all under Enzo Maresca), experienced a dramatic turnaround in the United States.