Manchester City supervisor Pep Guardiola expects a completely new problem for his dominant crew to carry residence a fifth title of 2023 within the Club World Cup closing on Friday.
“The way they play, we’ve never faced, never,” Guardiola mentioned Thursday of South American champion Fluminense.
Fluminense’s type designed by coach Fernando Diniz is to crowd small areas of the sphere with a number of gamers linking collectively in sequence of passes.
The Brazilian crew’s overloading of 1 aspect of the sphere is a stark distinction to the finely calibrated motion of a Guardiola crew.
“We will have to impose our rhythm and our positional game as best as possible,” Guardiola said. “They will demand a lot of effort, and (we must) try to be aware and precise with the ball.”
A 13th Europe vs South America final is the 19th and last edition of this format of the Club World Cup. It is relaunching in June 2025 as a 32-team, month-long tournament with 12 European teams and six from South America.
This final offers a clear contrast between one team almost purely Brazilian and the other a multinational mix that is typical of a modern and wealthy English club.
Fluminense had nine Brazilians in its starting lineup for its 2-0 win over Al Ahly of Egypt in the semifinals. Man City had seven different nationalities, and just four English players, starting its 3-0 win over Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan on Tuesday.
The difference is partly explained by the clubs’ respective finances and potential purchasing power.
Man City’s revenue was $890 million, with a salary bill of $530 million, in its treble-winning 2022-23 season. Fluminense expects to earn $74 million this year.
The typically Brazilian feel of Fluminense’s play is pleasing to Guardiola.
“They play a typical Brazil style from the 70s, 80s, early 90s — until 1994, when they won the World Cup in the United States,” he said. “I love it. I love the buildup. I love how they associate between each other, the respect (they have) all of the time for the ball.
“When I was a little boy, not even a teenager,” Guardiola added, “I listened to my dad or my individuals (discuss) the best way that Brazil had success with all earlier generations.”
Man City goes into the sport with out injured stars Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, and winger Jeremy Doku, although De Bruyne and Doku have skilled with the squad within the heat Saudi Arabia climate as a part of their return to health.
Source web site: www.hindustantimes.com
