Having finished preparing to face Avaí this Saturday (23) at Ilha do Urubu, Everton Ribeiro appeared at the Victorino Chermont Press Room, at Ninho do Urubu, to give a press conference. The number 7 spoke about the match following the team's recent great performance, highlighting the match against Chapecoense, which guaranteed the red-black spot in the quarterfinals of the Copa Conmebol Sudamericana after beating the Santa Catarina team 4-0 at Ilha do Urubu.

Despite not finding the net, Everton provided a masterful assist for Lucas Paquetá to score the winning goal. In addition to this direct contribution, the attacking midfielder was involved in much of the team's attacking play. The star commented on the team's performance, highlighting the team's high morale for the challenges ahead.

"It gives us more confidence knowing that we're improving, both tactically and as a group. The team started very well, with two or three high-intensity games. This has made a difference, as we score quickly and this gives us peace of mind so that, during the game, we can work better," he said.

Individually, Everton Ribeiro has delivered outstanding performances playing on the flanks of the red-and-black attack. However, he has also occasionally played centrally. The attacking midfielder sees no difficulty in playing either role, recalling having played in both throughout his career.

"It's nothing new, because at the beginning of my career, as a midfielder, I played more on the left at São Caetano. Then I ended up moving to the right. I'm good in the midfield, regardless of where I play," he said, explaining the differences between the positions. "When I play on the right, I have a larger field to bring the ball into the middle, it's easier to see and make passes with my left foot, which is my good foot. When I'm in the middle, it's sometimes more closed, a little more difficult to receive the ball, but I try to receive the ball behind the midfielders, which is where I can leave my teammates facing the goal. On the left, there's depth, and I can help from inside," he added.

I leave the scoring to Guerrero, Vizeu, and the other forwards. My characteristic has always been to provide more assists. I'm satisfied with my goal tally, but I can still contribute more goals. The midfielder who enters the box is important and makes a difference when it comes to helping the team.

If the coach decides to rotate the squad, it will be good to be able to rotate the group as well. We often talk about Flamengo having a strong group. They lack a bit of chemistry, but the quality is there. If a team that hasn't been playing well performs, it will be due to the desire and experience of the players. The most important game now is against Avaí. We know we have the final on Wednesday, but beating Avaí is important to keep us in a good position in the standings.

We even joked that they might change this rule only in the final. We know we have excellent players who will play in this final, which is very important to us. Every time we bring up the subject, we think about how it will play out. It's a tough game, but I'm confident we have what it takes to emerge champions, which is what we want. I'm sure whoever plays will give their best to make it a great performance.

In a game like this, the more experienced and in-form players available, the better. We hope he can return to help our team, as we know he's very important for his dedication and quality on the field. If he's unable to play, we have an excellent group to fill in for him with high quality as well.

What he says to the press, he talks to us first. He's a guy who likes a lot of intensity, not just in games, but in training. We're coming out with a lot of intensity, looking for the goal from the first minute. This has made a difference. Against both Sport and Chapecoense, we managed to score early, which gave us peace of mind for the rest of the match. If we keep this pace, we'll be strong until the end of the year.

I think he was upset at first. Not just him, but the whole group. Not because of the goal he conceded, but because of how they reacted after the elimination, everything falling on him. It was our whole group that lost the game. He worked hard and in the last game showed he was very well prepared for this final. If he plays tomorrow, he'll give us all that confidence again, so we can reach the final with the highest level of alertness.