Andrey Santos is putting emotion to one side as he prepares to face childhood idol Thiago Silva when Chelsea take on Fluminense in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final.
Having triumphed over Palmeiras in the quarter-final, their sights are set on the final, but they must first overcome the Brazilian team that eliminated Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal.
When Enzo Maresca’s side takes the field at MetLife Stadium to face the Team of Warriors, they will be up against a familiar opponent in Silva, who played for the two-time UEFA Champions League winners from 2020 to 2024.
Santos, who spent his first season at Chelsea under the Brazil legend’s guidance, spoke with deep respect about the veteran’s influence both on and off the pitch, but insists it will be a completely different game when they face each other.
"Thiago Silva was so important for me during my first season here," Santos told the media.
"He is so important for Chelsea and Chelsea fans, too. But (in the semi-final), he is my rival, so we have to work hard against him."
Fluminense will pose a tough challenge for the Londoners, as the Brazilian top-flight team remains unbeaten in this year’s tournament, having already knocked out Inter Milan and Al Hilal en route to the semi-finals.
Tuesday’s crunch fixture will be the ninth time English and Brazilian clubs face off in the FIFA Club World Cup, with both countries’ teams evenly split at four wins apiece from the previous eight encounters.
The Blues have played in half of those fixtures, holding a balanced record of two wins and two losses. Notably, both of their victories came against Palmeiras, including their recent triumph over the Brazilian side in this year’s quarter-final.
With this in mind, the 21-year-old emphasises that he and his Chelsea teammates must raise their level once more tomorrow evening to earn a spot in the tournament’s final.
"It’s a big game tomorrow against a big team. We have to prepare well because the game is so important for us, a semi-final, so we have to work hard and make sure we are ready.
"For sure, this tournament is so important for us. All the tournaments we come to win, but we know we have to improve as well against Fluminense. We will take it step by step."
This will be Chelsea’s third encounter with a Brazilian team in this year’s FIFA Club World Cup, following a 3-1 group stage loss to Flamengo and a 2-1 last four victory over Palmeiras.
Remarkably, the Blues are the only team in this year’s tournament to face three opponents from the same country.
On the other hand, Fluminense managed just 42.7% possession against Al Hilal in the quarter-final, marking the fourth time in five matches at this year’s competition that they have held under 50% possession.
Thus, they are the only remaining team in the tournament to have a lower possession share in the majority of their games.
The winner of this match will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid in the final scheduled for June 13.