Andrey Santos is setting aside his emotions as he gears up to face his childhood hero, Thiago Silva, when Chelsea squares off against Fluminense in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final.
After overcoming Palmeiras in the quarter-finals, Chelsea is focused on the final but must first tackle the Brazilian side that knocked out Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal.
As Enzo Maresca’s team takes the pitch at MetLife Stadium to take on the Team of Warriors, they will face a familiar opponent in Silva, who represented the two-time UEFA Champions League winners from 2020 until 2024.
Santos, having spent his debut season at Chelsea under the veteran’s mentorship, spoke highly of Silva’s impact both on and off the field, but he emphasises that the match will bring a different dynamic.
“Thiago Silva played a crucial role in my first season here,” Santos shared with the media.
“He is immensely important for Chelsea and the fans. However, in the semi-final, he becomes my opponent, so we need to prepare thoroughly to challenge him.”
Fluminense will be a formidable adversary for the London club, as the Brazilian top-tier team remains unbeaten in the tournament, having already eliminated both Inter Milan and Al Hilal to reach this stage.
The encounter on Tuesday marks the ninth time that English and Brazilian clubs clash in the FIFA Club World Cup, with both nations having won four times in the previous eight meetings.
Chelsea has participated in half of these matches, recording a balanced record of two wins and two losses, with both triumphs coming against Palmeiras, including their recent success over the Brazilian outfit in this year’s quarter-final.
Keeping this in mind, the 21-year-old stresses the importance of stepping up their game tomorrow evening to secure a place in the final.
“Tomorrow’s game against a strong team is significant for us. We need to prepare well as this is a vital semi-final, and we must put in the hard work to ensure we are ready.
“This tournament holds great significance for us. We aim to win in every competition we enter, but we recognise the necessity to improve against Fluminense. We will approach it step by step.”
This will be Chelsea’s third encounter with a Brazilian club in this edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, following a 3-1 defeat to Flamengo in the group stages and a 2-1 victory over Palmeiras in the last four.
Notably, the Blues are the only team in this year’s tournament to have faced three opponents from the same country.
In contrast, Fluminense managed just 42.7% possession against Al Hilal in the quarter-finals, marking the fourth time out of five matches in this year’s competition where they have had less than 50% possession.
This statistic positions them as the only remaining team in the tournament to have experienced a lower possession share in the majority of their games.
The winner of this match will meet either Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid in the final, scheduled for June 13.
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Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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