Latest news with #Kleberson
The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Flamengo or Fluminense? I asked a Brazil World Cup winner who can shock Europe's elite
In international football, Brazil are synonymous with the World Cup, even if they have been stuck on five wins since 2002. The expanded Club World Cup may offer fewer chances of success, given how much of the financial and footballing power rests in Europe. And yet Brazil has outnumbered everyone else in one respect. No other country provides as many of the 32 clubs who are converging on the United States. In Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense and Botafogo, it provides a quartet, the last four winners of the Copa Libertadores. For a World Cup winner, the 2022 champions of South America are the likeliest to last longest in North America. 'The best team in Brazil for now is Flamengo just because they have the best players,' said Kleberson, part of that 2002 side. 'A lot of the players come [back] from Europe, they play in the big leagues and the Champions League and they have a really good quality. In my opinion, the club that can go most far is Flamengo.' How far? In a tournament with 12 European clubs, the context has changed. In the old Club World Cup, South American sides made six of the last 10 finals, but lost each. Now perhaps a quarter-final appearance would represent a cause for satisfaction. 'If they got in a semi-final, it is really special for clubs in Brazil,' said Kleberson. 'Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League and we can see how far they are from a club from Brazil.' There is also a test of staying power. 'The difficulty is before the clubs from Brazil won this tournament, they prepare to play three games,' added Kleberson. 'Now it is a little bit different, you have to be more smart to play more games.' He has, though, identified a potential advantage. Flamengo's first two matches, including a clash with Chelsea, are in Philadelphia; not quite home soil for some of their supporters but not far off. 'The thing Flamengo and Botafogo have is they have great fans and a lot who live in New York or the USA,' Kleberson said. 'They can travel and watch the game and push their team and give a little bit of energy for the clubs.' And Flamengo have decorated players. Besides their band of Copa Libertadores winners, Danilo is a Champions League winner from his time at Real Madrid. A man who collected his medal with Chelsea in 2021 is a new signing: Jorginho, a Euro 2020 winner with Italy but a Brazilian by birth. 'It is an amazing deal,' said Kleberson, himself a former Flamengo midfielder. 'Jorginho is a top, top player in Europe for a long time. He participates in a lot of good trophies. Even the quality he can bring for Flamengo, he is going to give a lot of confidence to the players because he is going to be a leader on the team now and every fan is excited to see Jorginho play. He is a mini Brazilian; he was born in Brazil and his dream is to come and play in Brazil.' Perhaps Jorginho reflects a trend. Many a South American player in his prime can be found on the other side of the Atlantic; indeed, nine European clubs have at least one Brazilian in their Club World Cup squad. So those plying their trade in their homeland can sometimes be nearer the start or end of their careers. Two may be of particular interest to Chelsea. Another of their 2021 Champions League winners is Thiago Silva who will, at 40, anchor the Fluminense defence. 'Of course, he is not the Thiago Silva when he is 25 years old but the quality he has, the vision he has, the experience he has in the world, playing in the top level, he can push Fluminense to compete in a good level,' said Kleberson. At the other end of the age spectrum, the 18-year-old Estevao Willian has been bought by Chelsea and will link up with them after playing for Palmeiras in the United States. 'I am really curious how he is going to go in the Premier League because he has a lot of potential,' added Kleberson. The teenager's goals helped Palmeiras set the pace in the Brazilian Serie A. Flamengo then replaced them at the top but only temporarily, as the four teams headed to the United States will have games postponed. If European sides could be exhausted at the end of domestic campaigns, their South American counterparts have a different scenario. 'Brazil always go to the World Cup with players from Brazil who are in the middle of their season,' said Kleberson; he speaks from experience after winning the 2002 tournament while at Atletico Paranaense. Since then, still more leading South American players have headed for Europe. If the money from the Club World Cup could be transformative, Kleberson argued there is already money in Brazilian football. 'They have a lot of good budgets,' he said. And he puts himself in the position of Brazilian footballers heading to the Club World Cup. 'I don't think they just think about the money,' he said. 'Imagine for the players to play in this tournament, it is an amazing opportunity, it is a mini World Cup, you can get close to the players you are probably never going to see again. It is really cool for the players.'
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Manchester United squad needs to find the fire of ‘powerful' figures like Roy Keane, says Kleberson
Kleberson has called on Manchester United to show the fighting spirit Roy Keane brought to training games where he smashed his team-mates to the ground to turn their fortunes around. The Brazilian World Cup winner believes his former club need to display the hunger his old captain showed in practice matches as he said they need the sort of forceful characters United had in his day.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Kleberson on the club legend Man United need to embody to turn their fortunes around
Kleberson has called on Manchester United to show the fighting spirit Roy Keane brought to training games where he smashed his teammates to the ground to turn their fortunes around. The Brazilian World Cup winner believes his former club need to display the hunger his old captain showed in practice matches as he said they need the sort of forceful characters United had in his day. Kleberson joined United in 2003, the year after winning the World Cup, and spent two seasons at Old Trafford. Now he wishes the current side could reach the same standards, whereas United came 15th, their lowest finish in half a century. He said: 'Imagine now to see United play the same way we played all those years ago, we have really good players like Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Roy Keane. That generation, it is powerful, it is really powerful. 'The time I arrived at United, the memories I have is of powerful players. Everyone wants to look [you] in the eyes and we can see the guys are really hungry to win every game. Even the training sessions are like games, I remember Roy Keane smashed some guys to the ground. 'For me it is always special, because I come from the Brazil World Cup team of 2002, I have the opportunity to play with Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, those guys, it is powerful, and then as soon as I get to United there are all those guys like Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville. It is a great opportunity for me.' Kleberson called on today's team to copy their combative former captain Keane and similarly tough characters. He added: 'That's the thing I want to say again: be hungry to fight and compete and win a game. It doesn't matter how you win, like 1-0 or 2-0, but I want those guys who walk on the field, they know what they have to do to win a game and bring the three points back to Carrington.' Kleberson believes his fellow Brazilian Matheus Cunha will prove a fine buy after the forward completed his £62.5m move from Wolves. 'It is a big signing for Manchester United,' he added. 'I am really happy to see Matheus Cunha to play for Manchester United. He has really smart moves without the ball. He can make some runs diagonal, he can get it a lot of time in the final third, his potential to grow in the Premier League is long, he can make much better and United has a tough moment now. They need players like him.' Kleberson feels Ruben Amorim is the right manager for United, despite his difficult start, but feels it is vital he begins next season well. 'I think United trusts a good coach,' he said. 'Now he has a good manager. He gets the team in the middle of the season, it is not easy to find the team to play the way he wants. I talk to Manchester United fans, a lot are upset about the team. The beginning of the season is really important for United now, they don't play a tournament like [the Champions League ]. They can focus on the beginning of the season. They can make it good like pre-season. They can find perfect signings for the club and try to build a good team for 2026.'
