Fluminense’s captain, Thiago Silva, had an added reason to celebrate following Monday’s 2-0 triumph over Inter Milan in the round of 16 of the Club World Cup. Not only did his side achieve a historic feat, but they also managed to overpower a city rival of his former club.
The 40-year-old defender returned to his roots at Fluminense last year after a three-season stint with Milan from 2009 to 2012, during which he secured a Serie A title and an Italian Super Cup.
As Fluminense eliminated their Italian counterparts from the revamped FIFA tournament, Silva admitted that he considered the happiness of Milan supporters witnessing their arch-rivals suffer a defeat.
“I was thinking about Milan,” he remarked to DAZN post-match in Charlotte. “I’m certain that the Milan fans will take joy in seeing Inter lose and us win.”
The centre-back, who has had successful spells at Paris St Germain and Chelsea as well, commended his team’s remarkable display in overcoming the Champions League runners-up.
“This result is crucial for us. We knew it wasn’t going to be straightforward. They played in the Champions League final just a month ago,” Silva noted.
“We executed an incredible match today. It had to be this way; there was simply no other option for us to succeed.”
“We maintained our solidarity throughout the game, and defensively, we performed exceptionally well. They certainly made it tough for us, and we may have lacked a bit defensively, but that’s understandable when you’re up against a team like this.”
Next up for the Brazilians is a quarter-final clash with Al Hilal on Friday.
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Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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