Before the red-black delegation traveled to Belo Horizonte, where the Copa do Brasil title will be played against the Cruzeiro team, center forward Paolo Guerrero was present at the Victorino Chermont Press Room, at Ninho do Urubu, where he gave a press conference.

Suspended in the first match, the number 9 will have the chance to make his mark in this final wearing the Sacred Mantle. "Coming back from the national team game and having to watch a final from the stands was difficult for me. I would have liked to be on the field helping the team, but thank God there are only two games. I had to wait my turn and now I'm focused solely on Cruzeiro," celebrated the star.

Guerrero also commented on the group's enthusiasm for this decision, highlighting the importance of this title for all the athletes who will represent Rubro-Negro this Wednesday (27).

"These are games that every player wants to be involved in. I have to say that those who are on the field playing in a final are privileged. We have to enjoy it, motivate ourselves, and be aware of everything that could happen. These are seconds that can decide the game. As they say here, we're bloodshot and very motivated," he said.

The center forward was a key player in the State Championship win at the beginning of the year. In a fiercely contested derby against Fluminense, Guerrero scored the equalizer at the Maracanã. At the end of the match, the happiness on his face was evident, as was his appetite for more achievements. The number 9 spoke about the possibility of lifting another trophy this season. 

"It's beautiful. We had the opportunity to celebrate the Campeonato Carioca this year, and now we're moving on to another dream: winning the Copa do Brasil. It's very important to give the club this title and for us to make history, as always happens when we win a title. There are many things involved in this game, and we're ready for it," he said.

We know Juan's ability. He's a very experienced and technical player, accustomed to this type of match. He's helping us a lot. It's an honor for us to play alongside him. He provides a lot of security at the back, both he and Réver and all the other defenders here.

I don't think in these types of games, if they score here, the advantage lies with them. One of the two will win the game, whoever scores more goals and makes fewer mistakes. I don't believe that advantage exists. For us, we only have to think about what Flamengo will do on the field. Everything else is left out. It will be a very difficult final, as we'll be playing at our opponent's home ground, but Flamengo has to be prepared for anything that might happen.

I think every player sets goals at the beginning of the year. The group's goal was to win everything we were competing for. We won the Campeonato Carioca. We advanced from the Libertadores, which was a huge goal, but we're in the Copa Sudamericana and also competing for the Copa do Brasil, which, if all goes well, we could be champions, in addition to the Campeonato Brasileiro. These are championships that a team like Flamengo has to be in and compete for.

He's a great goalkeeper. For us, there's no doubt about that. We have a lot of confidence in him. It's a decision, and everyone wants to be on the field. Muralha gives us confidence. Even though he hasn't played much this month, he's a goalkeeper who's always preparing and training very hard. It's an honor for us to have him in goal this Wednesday.

I don't know what the plan will be for Éverton. The decision will be made by the professor and the medical department. We don't know anything about him yet.

Every game is different, whether the fans are close or far away. We're used to playing at Maracanã, where the fans aren't that close either. It doesn't mean anything. On the field, when the game starts, we have to be focused for the entire 90 minutes.

We have a game plan; we already know what the coach expects from each player. He's already planned a style of play against them, but that's pretty much how we play. There's no mystery. We know the squad we have, with its many weapons, and we know what we need to do to win.

We've been practicing penalties since the season started, as we'd have a lot of shootouts this year. We're always preparing because anything can happen in shootouts. We have to be prepared for anything.

It's always good to have the fans around because they support me all the time. I expect to live up to everything they expect of me on the field. I always try to work hard to be in good shape and help the team. What Flamengo fans want is to see the team win and win titles, so we have to live up to that.