Absent from the 3-3 draw with Goiás, defender Fábio Luciano is not guaranteed to return for next Sunday, in Flamengo's final game of the Brazilian Championship, against Atlético-PR, at Arena da Baixada. This is because the Flamengo captain could be tried again this Thursday, this time by the Plenary of the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD), for his expulsion in the game against Cruzeiro (Flamengo's lawyer, Michel Asseff Filho, is trying to postpone the trial until next week).

"I thought the trial was over. The people who judged were members of the court and competent to do so. I think the retrial is more their problem than ours. There was an acquittal, I don't see the point of a retrial, but I'm calm. If they were competent to judge that day, there's no reason for any other type of punishment," said the number 3.

Even though he doesn't know if he will be on the field, Fábio Luciano believes that Flamengo will put on a great performance in Curitiba.

"We haven't won there in a while, but we can break that taboo. We've experienced situations like this before in this championship. The important thing is to fight to win, not give up before the game."

The player stated that the entire squad is confident and optimistic about securing a spot in the 2009 Libertadores, even with the red-black team depending on the results of the Cruzeiro and Palmeiras matches.

"We've talked a lot these days, and everyone is focused on fighting until the end. The championship is balanced. We can't assume the games are already decided. We'll try to win and see how things play out. We have the last game, and we need to believe until the end. We'll fight for it. It's difficult to win there, especially given our opponent's situation, which is much worse than ours. A big club that could be relegated, and we can use that to our advantage."

Fábio recalled yesterday afternoon's episode, when fans met with the board to demand better results.

"Some fans came to the Club yesterday to express their opinions and were well received, as they always are. Their grievances have been expressed, but it's not over yet. We're still fighting and we won't give up."

Fábio Luciano assured that coach Caio Júnior has the full support of the entire red-black squad.

"I talk to Caio all the time, and I've supported him since the beginning of the championship. We'll go all the way together, hoping he stays. Maybe we can give him this Libertadores spot as a gift. And if we do, his future might become clearer. If he wants to leave, that's his decision, certainly for a better situation."