Inzaghi: Neves and Cancelo Face the Match with Difficulty After Jota’s Tragic Loss
Orlando – Simone Inzaghi, Al Hilal coach, has acknowledged that Rúben Neves and João Cancelo have had difficulties preparing for the crucial Club World Cup quarter-final match against Fluminense, following the death of their national teammate Diogo Jota. Liverpool striker Jota, 28, lost his life in a car accident in Spain on Thursday, along with his brother André Silva. Both Neves and Cancelo have represented Portugal alongside Jota and were informed of the sad news while in the United States with Al Hilal, the team they belong to, and who will face Fluminense in Orlando on Friday.“Today has been a very difficult day for all of us. We tried to work the same way, but the atmosphere was different. It’s a very, very sad tragedy,” added the coach. Cancelo was one of the teammates who published a tribute to Jota after learning the news.Al Hilal and Fluminense will face each other in the only quarter-final match that does not include a European team. The Brazilian team reached this stage after defeating their local rival Botafogo in the round of 16. Fluminense coach Renato Gaúcho urged his players to “make history” at Camping World Stadium. The 62-year-old coach also described his team as the “ugly duckling” of the quarterfinals, because it does not have the same financial resources as Al Hilal, backed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, nor as the European giants.“We all know it’s a very sad day because of what happened to Diogo and André,” Inzaghi stated in a press conference on Thursday. “These things should never happen. We are aware of the tragedy. We have two Portuguese players, Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo, who were friends with them.”
Simone Inzaghi, Al Hilal coach
“Looking at all these teams [in the quarter-finals], Fluminense is the underdog, at least in financial terms,” he added. “Football is decided on the field. We have certain difficulties in terms of budget, so there is a gap with them [Al-Hilal]. Off the field they have different financial conditions, but on the field the story is different.”“We are living this magical moment with Fluminense,” said Gaúcho. “We have the opportunity to play in the semifinals among the best teams in the world. I don’t know when another opportunity like this will come again, if it ever comes”.
Renato Gaúcho, Fluminense coach
