Chelsea's Unusual Pre-Match Ritual

0:00On March 14, Chelsea players have started a new ritual of huddling up in a circle before each half to boost their unity and their head coach Liam. Rosinger has praised the tight-knit group for it, but things got unusual before their match against Newcastle when referee Paul Tierney ended up right in the center of the huddle. Cole Palmer playfully put his arms around the referee, while teammates like Trevor Chaloba and Enzo Fernandez looked on with amusement. Tierney just smiled back, seemingly unfazed by the surprise addition to the pre-match gathering. Experts were stunned by the moment. Former England midfielder, Farah Williams, said the referee likely heard every word in the circle, and ex-premier league assistant referee Darren Canne, called it the strangest thing he'd seen in 50 years of watching football. Canne explained it made sense since Newcastle was kicking off, so Tierney controlled the ball on the halfway line to avoid any trouble. These huddles are Captain Reese James' idea to share key messages right before playstarts,

1:00building on their habit of walking off the pitch together, as a team. The practice even drew booze from Aston Villa fans during Chelsea's recent 4-1 win there. With the team enjoying each other's company, it seems like a smart way to stay connected on the pitch.