Renato Gaúcho hails squad, welcomes FIFA break after progress | OneFootball

Fluminense defeated Bahia 2-0 last Wednesday night and qualified for the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil. Coach Renato Gaúcho praised the team and the break during the FIFA Date.

“First of all, we have to really value our qualification. Many people criticize my group. We faced Internacional in the round of 16, which is a powerhouse in Brazilian football, and we eliminated them. Then, we faced Bahia in the quarterfinals and eliminated them. So, above all, I have to congratulate my group. Keep believing, we are competing in three tournaments, which is not easy at all,” said the coach in a press conference after the game.

“We had the FIFA Date, and I gave the group four days off. They needed it because they were in a continuous sequence since the World Cup. And I had the opportunity to train for four or five days, especially the tactical part. It resulted today in a total dominance of Fluminense over Bahia. We had time to train set pieces, rehearsed plays. And the goal, in fact, came from a set piece,” he added.

Praise for Thiago Silva

The winning goal was scored by Thiago Silva, at 39 minutes of the second half. Renato Gaúcho praised him and said that the defender deserves to play in another World Cup, even at 40 years old.

“I don't like to talk about anyone individually, but it gives me pleasure to see Thiago Silva play. He's a monster, once again he played very well. He's a leader. When I say he still deserves to play in a World Cup, I'm not saying it for nothing. Today, he gave another football lesson,” he highlighted.

Three fronts

Besides the Copa do Brasil, Fluminense is still competing in the South American Cup and the Brazilian Championship, for which they return to the field next Saturday against Corinthians. Renato emphasized that the cups now carry more weight, but he remains focused on the national league.

“The most important thing is that we advanced today. So, yes. Now yes. The semifinal is on December 10 and 14, by then the Brazilian Championship will already be over. So let's forget about the Copa do Brasil for now and then, rest assured, we will think about it again. Next Saturday we have Corinthians, for the Brazilian Championship, and next Tuesday we have the South American Cup, which we will also aim for, but we will not neglect the Brazilian Championship,” commented Renato.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.