Chelsea’s bid to win the Club World Cup will be broadcast free to air after Channel 4 won exclusive rights, the network has confirmed.
The Champions League winners, who have never won the Club World Cup, will face one of Al Hilal, Al Jazira or Auckland City in their semi-final.
That fixture will be shown live on E4 on Wednesday, February 9. The final, held at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, will be broadcast live on Saturday, February 12 from 4pm GMT should Chelsea reach that stage.
With kick-off at 4.30pm, it means there will be a rare break from tradition on UK TV.
The final falls into the UK broadcasting blackout, which prevents live football being shown on TV between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturdays and has been in place since the 1960s.
It is the first time Chelsea have taken part in the tournament for a decade, when they won the Champions League in 2012. A 3-1 win over Monterrey saw them reach the final where they lost to Corinthians.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, Thomas Tuchel said: “It is a big opportunity to win an extraordinary trophy which is far from daily business and that is why we will do anything to take the chance to make it happen.”
