At the end of the activity that took place on Tuesday afternoon (20) at Ninho do Urubu, the Colombian Gustavo Cuéllar was present at the Victorino Chermont Press Room, where he gave a press conference. During the conversation with journalists, Cuéllar celebrates the opportunities received in the last Flamengo matches in the Brazilian Championship, aiming to play regularly to realize his dream: to represent his national team in the 2018 World Cup, which will be played in Russia.

During the conversation, the midfielder praised the high quality of his teammates, which is further enhanced by the arrivals of Everton Ribeiro and Rhodolfo. The Flamengo number 26 also commented on the improvement of his Portuguese compared to last year and his evolution from the 2016 season to the current one.

That's normal in football. The situation changes day by day, and that's what happened to me. Now I'm playing. I had the opportunity and I'm trying to give my best, to improve in training and in games. Flamengo has a very large, high-quality squad, and that's important. Whoever has to play will give their best for Flamengo.

The positive side is that we have to push ourselves every day to improve, because if we don't improve, we won't play. We have quality players in every position, who could play for any team in Brazil. Day by day, the level of each athlete will improve because we have two or three players per position. Flamengo doesn't sign just anyone. Everyone who arrives has quality, and that's very positive.

Speaking with the staff. When I arrived, I repeated everything they said and asked what was right or wrong. I spend a lot of time with Rodinei, I talk to him quite a bit, and that has helped me a lot with my Portuguese. I still don't speak 100% well, but I'm trying to speak correctly.

Undoubtedly, from the beginning we tried to build a cushion so that, in the middle of the championship, we could recover any points lost. We didn't manage it, but we're on the right track. The team has always shown desire on the field. Sometimes the fans think otherwise, but we work every day for that. To try to play well, to give our all for Flamengo. We didn't have a good start, but I repeat, we're on the right track. 

My first year was difficult because I got injured after the first three months at the club. When I was out, the team was winning and the coach was right to continue with that team. We fought for the title until the end, but unfortunately we couldn't win it. Game by game, I'm improving my level. I'm feeling more enjoyment on the field. From now on, it's about improving, both for me and for the rest of the team.

I think I can still improve even more. I push myself hard to play better and better. Anyone who plays for Flamengo doesn't want to leave. It's a big team, with the biggest fanbase in Brazil, with excellent infrastructure. Everyone wants to come to Flamengo. If I have the opportunities, I'll try to take advantage of them and do my best to stay at the club. In the short term, I want to fulfill my dream, which is to play in the World Cup. Playing for Flamengo, anyone can be called up to their country's national team.