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"We really respect Chelsea's quality, but we're here to fight for the trophy. Fluminense are having a great World Cup. It's a privilege to be in charge of this team, this club. We came here to make history," said the 62-year-old coach.
"From the start I said that people needed to believe in us and our work. We will always respect our opponents. They're powerful, financially they're way above us, but football is decided on the pitch," said the coach, also known as Renato Gaúcho.
The Brazilian coach warned of the individual quality of Chelsea, coached by Italian Enzo Maresca, who he described as a team "with above-average players", especially their speed in attack.
"Their attack has been very effective, they've scored 12 goals in five games. They're very strong one-on-one and on the flanks, and they have a midfield that thinks the game out," analysed Portaluppi, anticipating an extremely strategic "chess match" made worse by the weather conditions: "It's going to be a game played in unbearable heat," he said.
Despite recognising the challenge, the coach guaranteed ambition: "We didn't come here just to play, we came here to win. We're already in the semi-finals, something many people didn't expect, but we want to continue making history."
Portaluppi, the only Brazilian to win the Libertadores as a player (1983) and coach (2017), both with Grémio de Porto Alegre, also highlighted the role of 40-year-old veteran centre back Thiago Silva, who is back at Chelsea after four seasons in London.
"He talks a lot to his team-mates and guides them on the pitch. Often the coach is away and can't give instructions, so he plays that role on the pitch," he explained.
Finally, the coach briefly analysed the other semi-finalists, PSG and Real Madrid, who meet on Wednesday in East Rutherford: "There are four big clubs in the semi-finals and anyone can be champions. But you have to reach the final first," he concluded.
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