Manchester City take on Fluminense in the FIFA Club World Cup final this Friday – held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The UEFA Champions League holders go up against the Copa Libertadores winners inside the King Abdullah Sports City for a chance to become World Champions.
Ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup final, Manchester City News sat down with Fluminense expert Rogerio Junior to learn more about the Brazilian giants…
Expert gives Manchester City fans the lowdown on Fluminense
Manager
Well, Fluminense are managed by Fernando Diniz – who holds the unique role of coaching both the Brasileiro Serie A outfit and also the Brazil national team, where he works with Ederson.
Speaking about the 49-year-old’s style, Rogerio Junior said: “Fluminense are coached by Fernando Diniz, who also commands the Brazilian team, and this is important to say because he has a characteristic that he doesn’t give up.
“All of his teams like to play with possession of the ball, they also like to play from the goalkeeper. We can say that it is a style similar to Pep Guardiola, even more so in his Barcelona days. Fernando Diniz is a huge fan of Guardiola.”
Key men for Fluminense
Manchester City fans may not know too much about the Fluminense squad given the lack of Brazilian football coverage in the United Kingdom, although there are a few well known figures.
Rogerio Junior continued: “The team is a mix of players with a lot of experience and young players. The most famous player is undoubtedly Marcelo, formerly of Real Madrid, but there is also Felipe Melo (formerly of Juventus) and Paulo Henrique Ganso (formerly of Sevilla).
“There are two other very experienced players, but with little international fame. The starting goalkeeper is Fábio, he is 43 years of age and will break a record in this World Cup, he will be the oldest Brazilian to play in the tournament and the second oldest in the history of football. In 2017, Mexican goalkeeper Óscar Pérez played in the World Cup at the age of 44 years and 10 months. Another fact about the goalkeeper is he has 1299 career games. It is the second most games in the history of football.
“The second highlight is Germán Cano, the 35-year-old Argentine striker is a goalscorer. He needs few touches to score a goal and positions himself very well inside and outside the box. This season there are 40 goals scored in 59 games.”
Lowdown on Manchester City target Andre
Rogerio Junior also provided us with some information about Fluminense No.7 Andre – a player Manchester City could sign in January, according to the Daily Star.
The Fluminense expert added: “Andre is a midfielder and can also play as a defender. He is 22 years of age and is being considered for several Premier League teams. A strong player with great passing, he rarely makes mistakes. He plays in Casemiro’s style.”
Others to look out for
“Nino, a great defender. Like Andre, he is also frequently called up for the Brazilian national team and speculated on in Premier League teams. Believed to be heading to Nottingham Forest. He is a strong defender and also a good passer.
“Jhon Arias, a great striker who plays on the wing, is fast, dribbles very well and has a good long distance shot.
“John Kennedy is usually a substitute, but he scored important goals this year, including in the Libertadores final. He’s a great striker.”
Fluminense tactics
Last but by no means least, Rogerio Junior shared Fluminense’s strengths and weaknesses.
Strength
“Attracting the opponent to your side of the field and creating space in the attacking field. With a few passes, Fluminense can reach the attacking third with chances of creating a goal. They need few chances to convert into goals as their striker (Arias) is great and they have a midfielder in Paulo Henrique Ganso who creatively thinks of plays.”
Weakness
“When Fluminense lose the ball, they tend to leave space in the defence, especially behind left-back Marcelo. The insistence on playing out from the goalkeeper also ends up creating opportunities for the opponent.
“Here in Brazil there is a big doubt about how Fluminense will play. If the club will maintain the strategy of trying to have more possession of the ball, or if it will explore counter attacks. I believe counter attacks are more likely, especially because of the pressure that City will apply.”
Manchester City News also shared some comments with Rogerio Junior – you can see that piece for Vamo Fluminense here
