Tactical training will be the final step in Flamengo's preseason preparations at Granja Comary in Teresópolis. While observing the physical activities and participating intensely in the players' ball skills, coach Cuca is mapping out the formation he intends to debut with in the State Championship on the 25th against Friburguense at Maracanã. Having retained the base from last year, the coach knows his biggest challenge will be finding the ideal midfield, a position he has 12 players for. That's why he's urging everyone to show team spirit for a winning team.

"My goal is to form a balanced, competitive, hard-working team with good technique. We'll lose some games, which is natural, but we're preparing to win as many as we can. This is achieved through team spirit. In midfield, for example, there are 12 players, with three or four playing. It's going to be a fight of loyalty, because a team isn't made with just the starting eleven," recalled the red-and-black coach. Cuca always emphasizes the advantage of having the core team maintained for this year, but with reservations. He sees several factors that need to come together to form a championship team.

"It's been a long time since I started a project with the foundation in place. Sometimes it's dangerous to lose ten or more players, because the restructuring may or may not work. We have a solid foundation, but our opponents will also grow. To be a champion, you need to work hard, have competence, and that chemistry that keeps the team going. Some teams without much clout have won the Libertadores. It's because it was meant to be. I believe in the work, but I don't rule out luck either," he analyzed.

During the two months he was without a club at the end of last year, Cuca took the opportunity to analyze what he needed to do better in the rest of his career.

"The only thing the coach doesn't renew physically is because he usually returns to work with a bigger belly. But free time helps with learning; I was able to refresh myself and see what I need to improve. The pressure is immense, hence the need for rest to return refreshed as I am now."