Corinthians captain Alessandro has revealed the Brazilian side have banished thoughts of meeting Chelsea in the Club World Cup final from their minds, in order to focus on Thursday’s semi-final with Al-Ahly.
The Copa Libertadores winners take on the African champions for a place in Sunday’s final, where they could meet Champions League winners Chelsea.
The Blues must beat Mexico’s Monterrey to set up a potential clash with Corinthians, however, Alessandro has revealed they can’t think about that yet.
The 33-year-old defender said: “We don’t have the luxury of thinking about Chelsea.
“Chelsea are one step later. We have a difficult match tomorrow first.”
However, this view isn’t shared by coach Tite, who is dreaming of playing in the final at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan.
He said: “We are excited, overwhelmed to be able to play in this special event the Club World Cup.
“We want to make the most of the chance. We are thinking of playing in the final. We have the right to dream.
“If we perform to our potential then the dream can come true.
“The prospect of it coming true can sometimes give you shivers and make you feel sick in the stomach. That’s natural but we have to control that.”
