Portaluppi hopes Fluminense run wins Brazilian coaches more respect

Fluminense's trip to the Club World Cup semifinal should net Brazilian coaches more respect, the club's manager Renato Portaluppi said on Tuesday, after its improbable deep run in the tournament ended in a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea.

The former striker, who steered the team to the 1995 Rio de Janeiro championship as a player, turned it from a relegation battler into tournament threat in the span of just three months as manager, and the club received a hero's sendoff from fans at Met-Life Stadium.

A critic of the influx of foreign coaches in Brazilian club soccer, Portaluppi hopes the strong showing will shine a light on talent among Brazilian managers.