Fluminense aim to beat Chelsea to continue Club World Cup fairytale
Berlin
In around half a year, Brazilian side Fluminense went from relegation candidate to surprise Club World Cup semi-finalists and will now face Chelsea as they aim to write a fairytale in the United States.
The club from Rio de Janeiro is the only non-European club to reach this stage of the revamped tournament. Just some six months ago, however, the team was fighting to avoid relegation to the second division.
'God has blessed us and made it possible for us to overcome that moment,' veteran captain Thiago Silva said ahead of the clash against Chelsea on Tuesday.
The 40-year-old defender was a key player to help Fluminense avoid relegation and now reach the Club World Cup semi-finals. A win against Chelsea would see them face either Real Madrid or Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.
Fluminense are something of an 'ugly duckling' in this elite circle, coach Renato Portaluppi joked. But in sporting terms, the underdog team earned this prestigious game on the big football stage.
'Many people didn't believe in us - and now we're in the semi-finals.
Fluminense are now one of the four best teams in the world,' Portaluppi said.
'I always tell the guys 'Don't put off until tomorrow what you can achieve today.' Who knows when another chance like this will come along?' For Thiago Silva, it's also a reunion with his past. He played for Chelsea between 2020 and 2024, winning the Champions League and the old format of the Club World Cup in 2021 under coach Thomas Tuchel.
Silva also played in Europa for AC Milan and PSG, among other teams. But last year, he returned to his hometown club Fluminense.
'He's a phenomenon. He has enormous experience and is an extension of the coach on the pitch,' Portaluppi said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Al Jazeera
LIVE: Chelsea vs Fluminense – FIFA Club World Cup semifinal
England's Chelsea take on Brazil's Fluminense in the first semifinal of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The match at Metlife Stadium just outside New York City in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the United States kicks off at 3pm (19:00 GMT).
Qatar Tribune
18 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Donnarumma ‘shocked' after duel that caused Musiala's serious injury
dpa Berlin Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is still shaken after a duel with Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala, which caused a major injury to the Bavarian player. 'I'm very shocked by what happened, it was certainly not my intention to injure Musiala,' Donnarumma told the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper on Monday. German international Musiala completely twisted his left leg while in a scramble for the ball against Donnarumma and PSG defender Willian Pacho in which he got hit by the Italian keeper late in the first half of the 2-0 defeat by PSG on Saturday. He fractured his fibula and dislocated his ankle and will be sidelined for a 'long period,' Bayern said. 'It was a matter of a tenth of a second. Gigio was first to reach the ball and couldn't avoid the contact,' Donnaruma's agent Vincenzo Raiola said. 'It's unfair to think that he wanted to hurt Musiala, who we hope will recover as soon as possible to return stronger than before,' he added. After the duel, Donnarumma seemed disoriented as Musiala laid in pain on the ground. 'He didn't want to pretend nothing happened, Gigio is a very sensitive guy,' Raiola continued. He said that Donnarumma even texted him during half-time - something that has never happened before as Donnarumma usually turns off his phone an hour before kick-off and only turns it on again once the game is over. 'This time he sent me a message to tell me he was shaken and that he hadn't done it on purpose,' Raiola said. Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer stressed that he didn't believe Donnarumma intentionally caused the injury, but accused his counterpart of a reckless challenge when he told reporters that 'It was a situation where you don't necessarily have to go in like that.' Neuer also questioned whether Donnarumma was really moved by Musiala's fate as he added: 'I went to him and told him: 'Don't you want to go there? Jamal is lying there, he'll probably stay in hospital, he's got a serious injury. It's simply a matter of respect to go there, wish him well and leave a little apology.' Donnarumma preferred to walk away and let the doctors handle the situation. 'I understand Neuer. And he's right when he says that one can behave differently. But we're all different and we behave like we can. It was a game incident in the eternal duel between goalkeepers and forwards,' Raiola said. He also remembered that Neuer was involved in a similar situation during the 2014 World Cup final when he came out of the goal to jump and punch the ball away, inadvertently kneeing Argentinian forward Gonzalo Higuain on the head in the process. 'He then apologized although he admitted that he wanted to avert a danger for his team, knowing that he risked hurting the opponent,' Raiola said.
Qatar Tribune
18 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Fluminense aim to beat Chelsea to continue Club World Cup fairytale
dpa Berlin In around half a year, Brazilian side Fluminense went from relegation candidate to surprise Club World Cup semi-finalists and will now face Chelsea as they aim to write a fairytale in the United States. The club from Rio de Janeiro is the only non-European club to reach this stage of the revamped tournament. Just some six months ago, however, the team was fighting to avoid relegation to the second division. 'God has blessed us and made it possible for us to overcome that moment,' veteran captain Thiago Silva said ahead of the clash against Chelsea on Tuesday. The 40-year-old defender was a key player to help Fluminense avoid relegation and now reach the Club World Cup semi-finals. A win against Chelsea would see them face either Real Madrid or Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. Fluminense are something of an 'ugly duckling' in this elite circle, coach Renato Portaluppi joked. But in sporting terms, the underdog team earned this prestigious game on the big football stage. 'Many people didn't believe in us - and now we're in the semi-finals. Fluminense are now one of the four best teams in the world,' Portaluppi said. 'I always tell the guys 'Don't put off until tomorrow what you can achieve today.' Who knows when another chance like this will come along?' For Thiago Silva, it's also a reunion with his past. He played for Chelsea between 2020 and 2024, winning the Champions League and the old format of the Club World Cup in 2021 under coach Thomas Tuchel. Silva also played in Europa for AC Milan and PSG, among other teams. But last year, he returned to his hometown club Fluminense. 'He's a phenomenon. He has enormous experience and is an extension of the coach on the pitch,' Portaluppi said.
