Chelsea is favorite for Final, but they are faced with a familiar enemy with Thiago Silva | Club World Cup 2025

AThen there was one. No one expected a Brazilian club to reach the semi-finals of the Club World Cup, and if a team was going to take a deep race in the tournament, it was not Fluminense. After winning COPA Libertadores in 2023, they narrowly avoided relegation last year and crossed four managers in less than two years.

Fortunately for them, they are now trained by the charismatic Renato Gaúcho, who told us earlier in the tournament: “There is no point in having a team of 500 million reais, because football is decided on the field.” Throughout the tournament, he encouraged Brazilians to be proud of what their teams have achieved, despite their radiation due to the wealth of European parts.

He also told fans of Fluminense to be noisy and proud as they celebrate go further in the tournament than their rivals of Rio Flamengo and Botafogo, and São Paulo Giants Palmeiras. “I ask fans to wear the Fluminense shirt throughout Brazil. Going to the beach, walking the dog, heading to the shopping center. Wherever you go, I ask Fluminense fans to wear the club’s shirt. Everyone should be very proud of what this group does here,” he said after their 2-1 victory against Al-Hilal in the quarterfinals.

Renato, a legend of Brazilian football which appreciated something similar to the celebrity status of Rockstar in the 1980s and 1990s, was not always respected as a manager given his notorious love of the night. Globoosport’s journalist, Carlos Eduardo Mansur, explains that his reputation during his days of play left many people “doubt if he could be a manager with authority because he had glory as a person who loved good life”.

Despite a certain success by bringing Fluminense to the final of the Copa Libertadores in 2008, it seemed that he could end up being what is known in Brazil as a “market manager” – the one who continuously changes clubs and sets up the country’s without end of the country “because no one thought that he had really taken his profession seriously and would study football”.

When Brazil was dismantled 7-1 by Germany at the World Cup in 2014, the Brazilian Football Association set up lessons for its coaches. Renato made fun of the idea of ​​studying, preferring to play on the fly and indulge in his love with warm sand and cold beer on the beach. “Those who need to learn must study; Those who cannot take a vacation on the beach without problem, ”he joked. Its nonchalance did not do much for its reputation. “There was a desire in Brazil for better training for coaches, especially in the crisis that occurred after the World Cup,” explains Mansur.

Although Renato won the Copa Libertadores with Denimio in 2017, he bounced from one job to another without winning many trophies. Somewhere along the line, however, he seems to have changed. “Those who live alongside Renato today say that he looks at football in a compulsive way, very definitively – that he is super interested,” explains Mansur.

His dedication even bored his family. He would have angry his daughter by refusing an invitation to dinner in Miami after Fluminense drew with Mamelodi Sundowns and reserved their place in the stadiums with direct elimination. Renato gave his players free time to spend with their families, but he chose to stay and analyze any opponents of the last 16 years. “They think that I do not study, but what I understand the most are the tactics,” he said after the historic victory of his team against Inter in the last 16.

Renato’s teams have always appreciated the attacker side of the game, but the surprise of this tournament is how well they did well. “He has never been the type to lock up many players in a system,” says Mansur. “He gave a lot of freedom to the attackers, to the most technical and skilful players. The Démio team who won the Libertadores had a lot in these aspects, but on the defensive, he lacked a little structure. In this tournament, although Fluminense adapts to strong opponents and has been very solid. From a tactical point of view, which is the most surprising aspect of the countryside.”

Two players are essential to this improvement: their 44 -year -old goalkeeper Fabio and 40 -year -old defender Thiago Silva, who limited their opponents to only four goals in five games at the tournament. Silva has shown its leadership capacities throughout. The central rear supported during a cooling break against Inter, giving tactical instructions and adapting the team training, helping them win the 2-0 match. Renato’s criticisms say that he has shown a lack of authority and ideas by allowing a player to take over, but others congratulated him for demonstrating his skills in men’s management – as a former player himself, he understands when to let his leaders speak.

Renato can be compared to the boss of Brazil Carlo Ancelotti for this approach. “He has a reputation for being a great cloakroom manager, a players manager,” explains Mansur. “He will go to a press conference and criticize his players, saying that they lacked attention and commitment, but there has never been news of his loss of control of the locker room. This is a very interesting feature of his career; he has a lot of leadership.”

Let Silva speak was definitely the intelligent movement. The defender showed an impressive and experienced knowledge of the game, which led to the second goal of Fluminense. Silva has also become viral for an emotional and excited conversation that he said before the match against Inter. He tells the story of his stepfather dying when he was in France to play for PSG. He must now live with the regret not to visit him in the hospital – and he does not want his teammates to look at their opportunity in front of them with regrets.

“I did not see him in the hospital because I thought he was going to come out,” said Thiago to his teammates almost in tears. “Don’t hold back there. Do it now. Do what we can do now. Do not report it, because there is no time. Enjoy the moment. Happily but responsible. “

Having won trophies in Italy, France and England, Silva is among the best central defenders of H is generation. He will be 41 years old in September, but the Brazilians come to the idea that he could be at the heart of their defense under Ancelotti. “He was a huge leader for Fluminense. Ignácio and Freytes, who play by his side in a rear three, have improved their performance enormously. Fluminense had much better defensive figures in the Brazilian league after his return to Brazil.

“He has shown a lot of leadership, but there have been physical problems and injuries and it would be a concern in a tournament as demanding as the World Cup, with perhaps seven games in a month if the team goes all the way. But the debate is back in Brazil. It imposes itself on duels against the higher level wings against the arbors.

Renato heads the campaign for the return of Silva to the national team. “I never tire of seeing Thiago Silva play,” explains his manager. “He is a leader and coach on the field. It’s beautiful to see him play, to see him direct the team inside the four lines. It’s a pleasure to work with him. He helped us a lot because of his leadership and, in my humble opinion, he is still a Brazilian national team player. ”

The semi-final against Chelsea will be special for Silva. He knew four successful seasons in Stamford Bridge, especially given his advanced years in such a demanding league, and he won the Champions League – a trophy that had escaped him several times at PSG. He also won the club World Cup, beating Palmeiras in the final in 2021, although winning the expanded tournament with Fluminense – the club where he started his career for young people at the age of 14 – would be a success at a different level. “One more! There are two of them. It’s not over,” he told Renato when they were hugged on the field after seeing Al-Hilal.

Once again – as was the case against Dortmund, Inter and perhaps even al -Hilal, the conquerors of Manchester City – Fluminense enter their next match as an -climb. “If you look at him on paper, Chelsea has invested more money and have more individual stars. But Fluminense has things that can help them, ”says Mansur. “They have a large goalkeeper in great shape; They found a way to defend and make the team solid when it is under pressure; And they have Jhon Arias at the front who is one of the candidates for the best player in the tournament. Sometimes, in direct elimination tournaments, which is sufficient, so there is no doubt that Fluminense can continue, but I do not think they are not favorable. ”

This is an article by Tom Sanderson