Fluminense from Rio de Janeiro said goodbye to hundreds of fans who accompanied them to the airport, before leaving for the Saudi city of Jeddah to play their first Club World Cup.
The Rio tricolor, led by Brazilian coach Fernando Diniz, travels with a roster of 27 players – 23 registered – made up of those mainly responsible for winning the Copa Libertadores de América in November.
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At the time of the arrival of the bus that took the team to the airport, hundreds of supporters sang, waved flags and lit maroon flares, shortly before the bus with the players entered a reserved area.
The delegation is led by the experienced goalkeeper Fábio, the defenders Nino, Felipe Melo and Marcelo and the midfielders André and Paulo Henrique Ganso, as well as the Colombian attacker Jhon Arias and the Argentine striker Germán Cano.
They are all part of the Brazilian club’s achievement of the first Libertadores title, beating Boca Juniors of Argentina in the final (2-1) on November 4 at the legendary Maracaná stadium in Rio.
South America’s sensation team during 2023, due to its colorful and offensive football, Flu will debut in the semifinals on Monday against the winner of the duel between Al-Ahly and Al-Ittihad.
The Egyptians, African champions, and the Saudis, led by Argentine coach Marcelo Gallardo and French striker Karim Benzema, will fight for a place in the semis on Friday in Jeddah.
Although its coach and players have recognized the difficulty of lifting the title due to the power of its opponents, Fluminense hopes to strike and win a competition fiercely dominated by European clubs in recent years.
The last non-European team to lift the trophy was Sao Paulo’s Corinthians in 2012.
“We are going with the dream of competing and winning the tournament. We know that it is very difficult, but in football anything can happen,” scorer Germán Cano, author of 40 goals in 59 games in 2023, recently told reporters.
In Brazil they are excited about a meeting in the final between Fernando Diniz and Pep Guardiola, coach of the favorite Manchester City of England, two representatives of signature football. (D)
2023-12-13 22:07:36
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