SOCCER
Fernando Diniz says Pep Guardiola liked Fluminense’s young players
The Fluminense manager commented that Pep Guardiola had shown an interest in the young players of the squad.
Manchester City overcame Fluminense in the final of the Club World Cup, a game that was pretty much decided in the first seconds of the game. However, the fantastic playing style of the Rio de Janeiro-based team did not go unnoticed by the reigning Premier League champions. Fernando Diniz himself said after the final whistle that Guardiola asked him about several of his young players who featured in the match that caught his attention.
Despite the scoreline, Fluminense earned praise for the way they approached the game. Phil Foden commented that he loved the way the team played and Guardiola, in a press conference, recognised the good period of dominance Fluminense put City under (at which point German Cano had a penalty disallowed for offside).
‘Guardiola liked the younger players’ says Diniz
“Guardiola liked the younger players. He already knew others, like Marcelo or Felipe Melo. But he liked our youngsters,” Diniz said after arriving back in Rio de Janeiro following the conclusion of a memorable 2023. “The conversation was about the national team and Fluminense players he liked, as well as the style of play”.
The most enjoyable moment was during his press conference, where he acknowledged that there was a dominance for a few minutes over Manchester City. “For everyone, those who work at the club and for the fans, the dream was the Libertadores.”
Which players did Guardiola like?
Fluminense’s great young talent is centre-midfielder André, who did not have his best game in the final but was named MVP in the semifinals. The 22-year-old grew up in the Flu youth ranks and has made it to the top of South America. He already has experience in the Brazil senior team and his departure to Europe seems close, with several Premier League teams interested.
Together with André, Martinelli put in a great performance. The midfielder performed well in the double pivot role and showed off both his effort and technical quality. He is also 22-years-old and is another gem carved in Fluminense’s youth team.
Two other Xérem-bred talents who came off the bench were John Kennedy and Alexsander. The former was the hero of the Libertadores and, against Manchester City, showed several eye-catching moments of quality. The latter, still far from 100% after a mid-season injury, is a regular in Brazil’s youth teams and has a bright future ahead of him.