Renato Gaucho has described his Fluminense team as the “ugly duckling” of the Club World Cup’s final eight, but believes his players can clip the wings of another richer opponent in Al Hilal.
The Brazilian guided his side to the quarterfinals after beating UEFA Champions League finalists Inter Milan 2-0. It was a major upset and banked the club over $13 million in prize money, taking their total earnings to around $40 million.
However, they face a much wealthier side in Al Hilal, whose expensive squad had been supported by the Saudi Arabian state’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
They caused the biggest shock of the tournament by knocking out Manchester City 4-3 in extra time.
“Looking at all of these teams [in the quarterfinals]Fluminense is the ugly duckling, in financial terms at least,” said Gaucho. “This is a big competition, facing big opponents. They have the financial means. Once again, football is decided on the pitch.
“We have certain difficulties when it comes to the budget, so there is a gap with them. Outside the pitch, of course, when you look at their budget, they can be compared to a European team.”
Fluminense have outlassed their more Stied Rio de Janeiro Neighbouts, Flamengo and Botafogo.
But they are not getting ahead of themselves after witnessing how many problems Al Hilal caused City on the break.
“They played beautifully against Manchester City. They really deserved to win,” said Gaucho. “They knew how to play that game. Manchester City maybe underestimates the opponent somehow. We cannot underestimate the opponent. If they reach this stage, it’s not by coincidence. We have to respect them.
“It will be a beautiful clash. Both teams want to reach the semifinals. Outside the pitch, they have different conditions financially, but on the pitch, it’s a different story. People might say Fluminense is an underdog, but we reached the quarterfinals.”
Fluminense have certainly not lacked belief despite being unfancied. Much of that is credit to captain and former PSG and Chelsea center back Thiago Silva, who is still going strong at 40.
Video footage emerged of Silva giving a passionate pre-match speech to his teammates about the loss of his stepfather and the need to seize the moment.
“Thiago said we need to live our lives to the fullest,” he said. “We are living this magical moment with Fluminense. We need to continue to make history with our team. We have the opportunity of playing in the semifinals among the best teams in the world. I don’t know when another opportunity like this will come, if ever. We need to live this moment to the fullest. This is the attitude we need to adopt.”
(Photo: Alex Grimm / Getty Images)
