It is a rude awakening for Inter Man players. The team's forward Luis Henrique admitted that Inter had not expected the quality shown by Fluminense in their Monday game at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Club World Cup: Inter Milan forward Luis Henrique reacts after suprise Fluminense win
The Brazilian team won the match 2-0, knocking the Italian giant out of the tournament.
The loss is a tough blow for Inter, a month after their crushing defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.
"Europeans don’t usually follow American championships, especially the Brazilian ones, so I didn’t expect this quality. And that's what was shown on the pitch. The guys wanted more, so they got the result today", Henrique said.
Fluminense striker Germán Cano opened the score on a header three minutes into the game. Midfielder Hércules scored the second goal at 93 minutes.
Inter Milan owned the ball during most of the game, but they did not manage to break through Fluminense’s defence
"This is undoubtedly one of the finest wins of my career at the club because it was against one of the big European teams", said Fluminense head coach Renato Gaúch.
"The most important thing was that the team was united, even the players on the bench."
The Brazilian team will face Saudi club Al Hilal in the Club World Cup quarter final on Friday in Orlando, Florida.
Al Hilal defeated Manchester City 4-3 on Monday, in another surprise outcome.