Latest news with #RenatoPortaluppi
Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Coach turns underdogs Fluminense into Club World Cup challengers
Brazilian soccer's ultimate showman Renato Portaluppi has transformed Club World Cup underdogs Fluminense from relegation battlers to giant-killers in three months, setting up a blockbuster semifinal with Chelsea on Tuesday. The charismatic 62-year-old, known as Renato Gaucho, has helped them defy the odds to knock out Champions League runners-up Inter Milan in the last 16 and Al-Hilal in the quarterfinals with his trademark extravagant guidance from the touchline. Portaluppi was one of Brazilian soccer's most popular and polarising figures before taking over a Fluminense team that had barely avoided relegation in the Brazilian league last year. Now his standing has grown stronger after guiding one of the tournament's biggest underdogs this far. The former striker, who scored almost 200 goals in a career spanning two decades, has never been short of confidence or controversy. A textbook egomaniac, Portaluppi once declared that he was "better than Cristiano Ronaldo." His playing heroics included scoring with his belly one of the most iconic goals in the country's history - the winner that gave Fluminense the 1995 Rio de Janeiro championship in a breathtaking 3-2 derby victory over Romario's Flamengo. The next morning, he graced the front page of Brazil's most popular newspaper wearing a crown with a sceptre in one hand and a ball in the other under the headline 'King of Rio.' A decade earlier, he was the hero of his childhood club Gremio, guiding them to their first Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup titles as a young player. From humble beginnings, he bought a house for each of his 11 siblings with the bonus he received. Over 30 years later, Portaluppi became the first Brazilian to adorn his living room with a Libertadores trophy as a player and another as a coach, guiding Gremio to the South American title in 2017 after winning the Brazilian Cup the previous year, and ending a 15-year title drought for his beloved club. But Portaluppi's career has been marked by dramatic ups and downs due to his strong personality and emotional outbursts. He was famously excluded from Brazil's World Cup squad in 1986 for allegedly leaving the training camp to go partying, and was later kicked out of Botafogo after organising a barbecue at his home for the opposition Flamengo squad after a humiliating defeat in the final of the Brazilian championship. A coach since 2000, Portaluppi is an exceptional motivator, which is arguably why he has experienced great success in knockout tournaments but has never claimed the Brazilian league, the big trophy that he has yet to win in his country. Portaluppi has been a great opponent of the latest trend towards having foreign coaches in Brazilian soccer, arguing that the clubs have more patience with outsiders, giving them more time to work. Critics say he improvises too much with his tactical schemes and does not put enough thought and study into his football. But Portaluppi has transformed Fluminense with an attacking 4-2-3-1 system and high-pressure style that he calls "creating chaos", which has defined their campaign in the United States. He has Fluminense playing with a grit and determination they will display against Chelsea as they try to continue their improbable Club World Cup run.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fluminense aim to beat Chelsea to continue Club World Cup fairytale
Fluminense FC players and coaching staff celebrate their win after the FIFA Club World Cup soccer match between Inter Milan and Fluminense at Bank Of America Stadium. Walter G. Arce Sr./ASP via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa In around half a year, Brazilian side Fluminense went from relegation candidate to surprise Club World Cup semi-finalists and will now face Chelsea as they aim to write a fairytale in the United States. The club from Rio de Janeiro is the only non-European club to reach this stage of the revamped tournament. Just some six months ago, however, the team was fighting to avoid relegation to the second division. Advertisement "God has blessed us and made it possible for us to overcome that moment," veteran captain Thiago Silva said ahead of the clash against Chelsea on Tuesday. The 40-year-old defender was a key player to help Fluminense avoid relegation and now reach the Club World Cup semi-finals. A win against Chelsea would see them face either Real Madrid or Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. Fluminense are something of an "ugly duckling" in this elite circle, coach Renato Portaluppi joked. But in sporting terms, the underdog team earned this prestigious game on the big football stage. "Many people didn't believe in us - and now we're in the semi-finals. Fluminense are now one of the four best teams in the world," Portaluppi said. Advertisement "I always tell the guys 'Don't put off until tomorrow what you can achieve today.' Who knows when another chance like this will come along?" For Thiago Silva, it's also a reunion with his past. He played for Chelsea between 2020 and 2024, winning the Champions League and the old format of the Club World Cup in 2021 under coach Thomas Tuchel. Silva also played in Europa for AC Milan and PSG, among other teams. But last year, he returned to his hometown club Fluminense. "He's a phenomenon. He has enormous experience and is an extension of the coach on the pitch," Portaluppi said.
New Straits Times
14 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Coach turns underdogs Fluminense into Club World Cup challengers
NEW YORK: Brazilian soccer's ultimate showman Renato Portaluppi has transformed Club World Cup underdogs Fluminense from relegation battlers to giant-killers in three months, setting up a blockbuster semi-final with Chelsea on Tuesday. The charismatic 62-year-old, known as Renato Gaucho, has helped them defy the odds to knock out Champions League runners-up Inter Milan in the last 16 and Al-Hilal in the quarter-finals with his trademark extravagant guidance from the touchline. Portaluppi was one of Brazilian soccer's most popular and polarising figures before taking over a Fluminense team that had barely avoided relegation in the Brazilian league last year. Now his standing has grown stronger after guiding one of the tournament's biggest underdogs this far. The former striker, who scored almost 200 goals in a career spanning two decades, has never been short of confidence or controversy. A textbook egomaniac, Portaluppi once declared that he was "better than Cristiano Ronaldo." His playing heroics included scoring with his belly one of the most iconic goals in the country's history - the winner that gave Fluminense the 1995 Rio de Janeiro championship in a breathtaking 3-2 derby victory over Romario's Flamengo. The next morning, he graced the front page of Brazil's most popular newspaper wearing a crown with a sceptre in one hand and a ball in the other under the headline 'King of Rio.' A decade earlier, he was the hero of his childhood club Gremio, guiding them to their first Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup titles as a young player. From humble beginnings, he bought a house for each of his 11 siblings with the bonus he received. LIBERTADORES DOUBLE Over 30 years later, Portaluppi became the first Brazilian to adorn his living room with a Libertadores trophy as a player and another as a coach, guiding Gremio to the South American title in 2017 after winning the Brazilian Cup the previous year, and ending a 15-year title drought for his beloved club. But Portaluppi's career has been marked by dramatic ups and downs due to his strong personality and emotional outbursts. He was famously excluded from Brazil's World Cup squad in 1986 for allegedly leaving the training camp to go partying, and was later kicked out of Botafogo after organising a barbecue at his home for the opposition Flamengo squad after a humiliating defeat in the final of the Brazilian championship. A coach since 2000, Portaluppi is an exceptional motivator, which is arguably why he has experienced great success in knockout tournaments but has never claimed the Brazilian league, the big trophy that he has yet to win in his country. Portaluppi has been a great opponent of the latest trend towards having foreign coaches in Brazilian soccer, arguing that the clubs have more patience with outsiders, giving them more time to work. Critics say he improvises too much with his tactical schemes and does not put enough thought and study into his football. But Portaluppi has transformed Fluminense with an attacking 4-2-3-1 system and high-pressure style that he calls "creating chaos", which has defined their campaign in the United States.
The Sun
21 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Renato Portaluppi Leads Fluminense to Club World Cup Semis
BRAZILIAN soccer's ultimate showman Renato Portaluppi has transformed Club World Cup underdogs Fluminense from relegation battlers to giant-killers in three months, setting up a blockbuster semi-final with Chelsea on Tuesday. The charismatic 62-year-old, known as Renato Gaucho, has helped them defy the odds to knock out Champions League runners-up Inter Milan in the last 16 and Al-Hilal in the quarter-finals with his trademark extravagant guidance from the touchline. Portaluppi was one of Brazilian soccer's most popular and polarising figures before taking over a Fluminense team that had barely avoided relegation in the Brazilian league last year. Now his standing has grown stronger after guiding one of the tournament's biggest underdogs this far. The former striker, who scored almost 200 goals in a career spanning two decades, has never been short of confidence or controversy. A textbook egomaniac, Portaluppi once declared that he was 'better than Cristiano Ronaldo.' His playing heroics included scoring with his belly one of the most iconic goals in the country's history - the winner that gave Fluminense the 1995 Rio de Janeiro championship in a breathtaking 3-2 derby victory over Romario's Flamengo. The next morning, he graced the front page of Brazil's most popular newspaper wearing a crown with a sceptre in one hand and a ball in the other under the headline 'King of Rio.' A decade earlier, he was the hero of his childhood club Gremio, guiding them to their first Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup titles as a young player. From humble beginnings, he bought a house for each of his 11 siblings with the bonus he received. Libertadores double Over 30 years later, Portaluppi became the first Brazilian to adorn his living room with a Libertadores trophy as a player and another as a coach, guiding Gremio to the South American title in 2017 after winning the Brazilian Cup the previous year, and ending a 15-year title drought for his beloved club. But Portaluppi's career has been marked by dramatic ups and downs due to his strong personality and emotional outbursts. He was famously excluded from Brazil's World Cup squad in 1986 for allegedly leaving the training camp to go partying, and was later kicked out of Botafogo after organising a barbecue at his home for the opposition Flamengo squad after a humiliating defeat in the final of the Brazilian championship. A coach since 2000, Portaluppi is an exceptional motivator, which is arguably why he has experienced great success in knockout tournaments but has never claimed the Brazilian league, the big trophy that he has yet to win in his country. Portaluppi has been a great opponent of the latest trend towards having foreign coaches in Brazilian soccer, arguing that the clubs have more patience with outsiders, giving them more time to work. Critics say he improvises too much with his tactical schemes and does not put enough thought and study into his football. But Portaluppi has transformed Fluminense with an attacking 4-2-3-1 system and high-pressure style that he calls 'creating chaos', which has defined their campaign in the United States. He has Fluminense playing with a grit and determination they will display against Chelsea as they try to continue their improbable Club World Cup run.
The Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Coach turns underdogs Fluminense into Club World Cup challengers
BRAZILIAN soccer's ultimate showman Renato Portaluppi has transformed Club World Cup underdogs Fluminense from relegation battlers to giant-killers in three months, setting up a blockbuster semi-final with Chelsea on Tuesday. The charismatic 62-year-old, known as Renato Gaucho, has helped them defy the odds to knock out Champions League runners-up Inter Milan in the last 16 and Al-Hilal in the quarter-finals with his trademark extravagant guidance from the touchline. Portaluppi was one of Brazilian soccer's most popular and polarising figures before taking over a Fluminense team that had barely avoided relegation in the Brazilian league last year. Now his standing has grown stronger after guiding one of the tournament's biggest underdogs this far. The former striker, who scored almost 200 goals in a career spanning two decades, has never been short of confidence or controversy. A textbook egomaniac, Portaluppi once declared that he was 'better than Cristiano Ronaldo.' His playing heroics included scoring with his belly one of the most iconic goals in the country's history - the winner that gave Fluminense the 1995 Rio de Janeiro championship in a breathtaking 3-2 derby victory over Romario's Flamengo. The next morning, he graced the front page of Brazil's most popular newspaper wearing a crown with a sceptre in one hand and a ball in the other under the headline 'King of Rio.' A decade earlier, he was the hero of his childhood club Gremio, guiding them to their first Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup titles as a young player. From humble beginnings, he bought a house for each of his 11 siblings with the bonus he received. Libertadores double Over 30 years later, Portaluppi became the first Brazilian to adorn his living room with a Libertadores trophy as a player and another as a coach, guiding Gremio to the South American title in 2017 after winning the Brazilian Cup the previous year, and ending a 15-year title drought for his beloved club. But Portaluppi's career has been marked by dramatic ups and downs due to his strong personality and emotional outbursts. He was famously excluded from Brazil's World Cup squad in 1986 for allegedly leaving the training camp to go partying, and was later kicked out of Botafogo after organising a barbecue at his home for the opposition Flamengo squad after a humiliating defeat in the final of the Brazilian championship. A coach since 2000, Portaluppi is an exceptional motivator, which is arguably why he has experienced great success in knockout tournaments but has never claimed the Brazilian league, the big trophy that he has yet to win in his country. Portaluppi has been a great opponent of the latest trend towards having foreign coaches in Brazilian soccer, arguing that the clubs have more patience with outsiders, giving them more time to work. Critics say he improvises too much with his tactical schemes and does not put enough thought and study into his football. But Portaluppi has transformed Fluminense with an attacking 4-2-3-1 system and high-pressure style that he calls 'creating chaos', which has defined their campaign in the United States. He has Fluminense playing with a grit and determination they will display against Chelsea as they try to continue their improbable Club World Cup run.
