Confidence. That's striker Adriano's motto for the match against Vasco, which will be played Sunday at 19:30 p.m. at Maracanã, and for the rest of the season. Undeterred by all the controversy of recent days, the Emperor has worked hard and wants to repay everyone's affection with decisive performances.

Adriano worked for four days with physical trainer Daniel Jouvin and is doing well both psychologically and physically.

"Everyone has problems. It's part of life. Now, I'm already thinking about Sunday's game. The group's support really strengthens me. The last four days were spent preparing intensely, and that did me a lot of good. A player loses match rhythm, but not much physically. I did this work to make up for the days I lost before," explained the striker, putting an end to his comments about his weight.

"They said I was 10 kilos overweight. I'm 101, and my ideal weight is 99. I've been standing still for a few days and gained a little weight, which is normal, but it wasn't all they said," he said.

For the classic, Adriano promised a lot of effort to help Flamengo leave Maracanã with the victory and to make the end of Sunday even happier for the fans and himself.

"I hope we can play a good game and come away with the win. I'm in the group, motivated for Sunday, and I'll do everything I can to put in a good performance. If I do well, it will be great for me. I have a strong personality and I'll do everything I can to go home happy," said Gávea's number 10.

However, when it comes to artillery, which is with his attacking partner Vagner Love, Adriano is more cautious.

"It's getting complicated, but I'll try to get there. Teamwork will always prevail, and I'll try to score goals to help. If I get to the top scorer's table, even better," he concluded.

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