Chelsea’s new team is aiming for a place in the Club World Cup final when they take over Fluminense in the last four Tuesday, with the Brazilian team marshed by former Blues defender Thiago Silva who is still going strong at the age of 40.

Silva was already a veteran when he signed for Chelsea In 2020 before you continue to have an impressive four -year stay at Stamford Bridge.

One of the best defenders of his generation, Silva arrived after eight years Paris Saint-Germain And in his first season in Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League.

He played 155 games for the club in London and left 12 months ago after helping to oversee the development of some of the young talent that regularly appear under Enzo Maresca.

“He’s a football legend, a top player,” Marc Cucurella, a friend of Silva’s team for two years, told the English media, adding that they had both exchanged messages about their close reunion.

“We have the opportunity to play against him again and hopefully we can do good things, win this game and play in the finals.”

Silva initially made his name in Flammablesubmitting to the team that reached the Copa Libertadores final in 2008 before it is lost Ldu quito of Ecuador.

He returned there after leaving Chelsea, pulling once again in green, red and white dress Rio de Janeiro who won the Copa Libertadores in 2023.

Evergreen international Brazil was then reunited earlier this year with Renato GauchoThe coach in 2008 who is now on his sixth magic at the top.

An impressive running in the Club World Cup has seen Fluminense Hold Borussia Dortmund In the group stage, eliminate Inter Milan in the last 16 and get the best of Saudi Electricity Al Hilal in the quarterfinals.

“If you had asked me before if we had taken this away, I would say we were a long way away doing it,” Silva told broadcaster Dazn after winning Al Hilal.

“We know the financial size of these teams, the change is huge, absurd. But often our collective, the family atmosphere we have, gives us strength that you probably don’t think you have.”

Brazilian opposition again

It is not just the silva that increases the average age in the fluminense. There is also 44-year-old goalkeeper, Fabio, wing Samuel Xavier to 35 and 37-year-old Argentine ahead Canonical.

But the man giving them X-Factor is 27-year-old Colombian Winger Jhon AriasUndoubtedly one of the tournaments of the tournament.

“I’ve seen some games they have played and you can see that they are very organized. They have some very good players. The manager is doing a fantastic job,” Maresca said as he prepares to face the Brazilian opposition for the third time in the tournament.

They lost in Flemish In the group stage but beat tree in the quarterfinals in Philadelphia.

“The energy from the Brazilian teams in this competition has been high – maybe the reason is because they are at the beginning of their season while we have finished the season,” Maresca Agad.

Chelsea now get their first taste of the Metlife Stadium, 82,500 capacity capacity with East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside New York City.

Many of the Maresca players may not have been sure what to do from the new FIFA tournament, which came to the end of a campaign in which they ended up in the Fourth Place in the Premier League and won the UEFA Conference League.

But suddenly they stay a game from the final, in which they would face or Madrid true or PSG.

With Gone Silva, Maresca worked with a new team in Chelsea, and the average age of his starting lineup against Palmeiras last Friday was only 24 years old.

There are even more young players who also come, with the 23-year-old Brazilian ahead Joao PedroFormerly Fluminense, making his quarter -final debut.

Wild brazil Willian Estevao18 years old, will join Palmeiras before next season and 20-year-old wing Jamie Gittens Has just signed by Borussia Dortmund.

Moises CaacedoLinchpin of midfield, who is still only 23 years old, will return to midfield against Fluminense after the suspension.

_______________________________________________

Sponsored:

FIFA Club World Cup – every game free, exclusively in Dazn.

Sign up here to start broadcasting.

_______________________________________________