Izuchukwu OkosiManchester City manager Pep Guardiola has given plaudits on the technical ability of Fluminense players ahead of Manchester City’s clash against the South American side on Friday’s final of the 2023 Club World Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
City were treble winners in the 2022/2023 season as they won the FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League and thus were representative of Europe at the competition.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelGuardiola spoke to the media Thursday evening during his post match press conference ahead of Friday’s final.
The Spaniard admitted that it will not be an easy ride for his team despite the huge talent on offer, something that he believes the Brazilian side is also blessed with.
“They play a typical Brazilian style from the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Lots of short passes, combining really good, but also physically demanding. We have to be aware of how much they run behind the ball, and be resilient in [dealing with] that.
“We try in the hours after [our last] game to see Fluminense as much as possible – looking at the quality they have. They have five, six or seven players more than 30 years old so that means they can control their emotions perfectly.”
“The way they play demands a lot of effort [from us]. The way they play, we have never faced before. They move a lot from side to side, so we have to impose our own rhythm and possession game as much as possible,” Guardiola told the football journalists at the press conference.
“I know exactly the talent and the quality of Fluminense and what they can do. They have beaten teams from Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay.
On the place of emotion in such finals, Guardiola said:
“I know my players and respect them for what they do. How do you play a Club World Cup final without emotion?
“Emotion is there, it’s how you handle it. It’s there. It’s how long it stays in your mind. That’s the big target in finals.”
Interestingly, Guardiola refused to be speak on Thursday’s European Super League ruling: “I’m not going to comment hours before the final. I will not talk about that.
“We will have time to reflect [later] – the club and the lawyers will decide what they have to do.”
Guardiola was also about the subject of having more time together as a squad during preparations for the Club World Cup final:
“We were able to have dinner together in the hotel [last night]. It has been great to be together all the time. We cannot spend so much time together [normally], except in pre-season.
“The players are ready and know how important it is. As I have said before, what a pleasure it is to be here.”
Speaking on spending time with former player Riyad Mahrez, who moved to the Saudi Pro League in the summer, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich tactician noted that the Algerian was one of the best characters in the City dressing room:
“It was a lovely night to see Riyad back. It was really nice to see him have dinner with us and spend time together, it was really cool.
“He was an incredible part of our success. We have incredible memories and an incredible love for Riyad in the locker room.
“He is missed a lot by us, but he took a good decision for him and his family and we wish him all the best.”
The final of the 2023 Club World Cup will kick off at 6pm Nigerian time.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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