'They didn’t know how to lose' - Joao Pedro hits out at PSG

Chelsea's Brazilian striker Joao Pedro, who scored a goal in his side's 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final on Sunday, said the Parisians "don't know how to lose" after an incident with PSG coach Luis Enrique at the end of the match.

"I went to protect Andrey (Santos). I saw the players surrounding him. As a good Brazilian, I went to protect a friend. A lot of people were arriving and, in that mess, I ended up being pushed. They don't know how to lose, I think. It's part of the game. Now it's time to celebrate," Joao Pedro told Brazilian broadcaster Sportv.

After the final whistle of a match that heated up in stoppage time with several hard tackles, a scuffle broke out in the middle of the pitch involving Luis Enrique. The Spanish coach went to an area where Achraf Hakimi and Gianluigi Donnarumma were arguing with Joao Pedro, who fell to the turf after feeling a blow.

Luis Enrique struck the Brazilian with his left arm and hitting the player first in the chest and then in the face. The incident sparked several minutes of arguments between the two teams, before the situation calmed down.

"At the end of the match there is a situation that I think is totally avoidable, on everyone's part. My objective and my intention, as always, was to try to separate the players so that there would be no more problems," said Luis Enrique at a press conference.

The Brazilian striker, who joined the Blues in the knock outs of the Club World Cup from Brighton, even burst into tears in the interview, recalling his successful time in the competition.

"I've been on holiday for 40 days and I've arrived in the middle of the championship, with great teams. What I'm going through is inexplicable. I don't know what to say. I had been working with a personal trainer," he added.

As a starter, he made his debut against the very team that saw him grow up, Fluminense, whom he eliminated with two goals and ended up apologising to their fans: "It was hard. My first final. I'm living something inexplicable. Two goals in the semi-final, one in the final. Inexplicable," he repeated.

The striker has landed on his feet in Enzo Maresca's squad, putting in some top-class performances, scoring three goals in this tournament and a great on-field partnership with Chelsea star Cole Palmer that promises plenty of joy for the future.