Fluminese squad find media motivation for Man City Club World Cup final

Fluminese boss Fernando Diniz has accused the British media of failing to respect his side and has claimed his players have found added motivation from an unexpected source ahead of Friday's Club World Cup final against Manchester City.

Diniz and 40-year-old defender Felipe Melo both claimed to have taken offence at an article in The Telegraph newspaper, widely taken out of context on social media and creating interest in Brazil.

It points out that Diniz's side won their semi-final on Monday night with an XI featuring two players in their forties, including 43-year-old goalkeeper Fabio, as well as a further five in their thirties. It has created such a storm that Diniz and Melo were both asked about it in their pre-match press conferences on Thursday, as were City boss Pep Guardiola and captain Kyle Walker.

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Melo, who had a long career in European football before returning to Brazil in 2017, is now 10 games away from 800 senior club matches and said he was still going because of his love for the game.

"It was a smart thing to say in a way because these things are done to draw the audience’s attention and get a reaction open social media," he said.

"There are also players who can play after a certain age and still play better than other players. I still play because I love the game, because I am disciplined and because I work hard. Other people can say stupid things."

Diniz picked up a similar theme and said the storm created was going to motivate a group of players who didn't need any more fuel for what is the final game of their season and the biggest in their calendar,