Alongside coach Ronaldo Rueda, Rodrigo Caetano also participated in a press conference in the Victorino Chermont Press Room at Ninho do Urubu, following preparations for the Copa do Brasil match against Botafogo. During the conversation with reporters, the football director explained details about the negotiations, revealing a long-standing desire to retain the coach.

"We made it clear that Professor Reinaldo's arrival began in conversation when he was still at Atlético Nacional, long before Zé Ricardo was confirmed as coach. We expressed, at that time, our desire to have him here with us. We hope he continues to achieve success as he did with the clubs and national teams he has played for, performing well in championships, as the club and the fans desire. It is a pleasure to announce Flamengo's new coach until the end of 2018," said Caetano, also commenting on the new members of the Mais Querido's coaching staff. "He arrives with his two assistants, Bernardo Redín and Carlos Eduardo Velasco. Redín will be in charge of field work and Velasco will be the physical trainer. With this, Daniel Gonçalves will return to his previous position as scientific coordinator," he added.

Regarding the regularization of the three professionals who will join the club's coaching staff, Caetano stated that all necessary steps are being taken. With a maximum of two days to go, the goal is for the Colombian coach, his assistant coach, and the physical trainer to be on the bench for the derby.

"We're working to get him a work visa as soon as possible, and I believe we expect to have it by Wednesday so he can be at the game tonight. All the paperwork has been submitted, and tomorrow is the day we'll work on the bureaucratic side. Since he was invited here, he's been sharing information, but our professionals have still been in charge," the football director explained.

The Football Department's plans for hiring a foreign coach were also discussed in the conversation with reporters. Providing full support for the club's new manager, Caetano recalled that Zé Ricardo had been the longest-serving coach in the top flight before leaving the club. 

"If we look at recent history, Zé was the longest-serving coach in Serie A. If we analyze a club like Flamengo, this is a relevant fact. The coach comes with an 18-month contract, which I hope will be renewed. Flamengo also knows that we will all have a tolerance, a longer period of time, for the work to be developed," he stated, asking for the same patience from the media. "And may the Brazilian press also be receptive to foreigners. The Brazilian market has already welcomed more foreigners. May we show respect and tolerance for good professionals, because we will learn more. Flamengo is fighting against this constant change, and their latest example speaks for itself: a coach forged within the club and who had support until the day we decided to change," he concluded.

Some details about Rueda's contract were revealed at the press conference. The main one, besides the length, focused on rumors of a supposed clause avoiding payment of a fine if called up by the Colombian national team.

"Nothing happened. No such situation was raised by him or his representative," he commented. "Of course, we have no control over the other party. A top coach can be called to coach Colombia. The moment he agreed to take on a job already underway, it was because he was very interested in being here. If there is an invitation, the clauses define the duties and rights," he clarified.

Finally, the Flamengo football director spoke about the decisive moment in hiring the Colombian. By hiring the current CONMEBOL Libertadores champion Bridgestone, one objective was clear in the minds of the board, players, and fans: winning the Copa América.

"At the time, we didn't yet have a clear idea of ​​what it would be. After contacting Rueda, he was open to the idea of ​​working on it. Besides qualifying, we understood that Flamengo's chances of going far in the Libertadores increase with someone who knows the path to success," he commented. "The professor talked about Flamengo's DNA, which is similar to the team he built at Atlético Nacional. We saw that it would be worthwhile to put together this medium- to long-term project," Caetano concluded.