After Friday morning's activities (August 14.08th) at the George Helal Training Center, midfielder Márcio Araújo spoke to the press. In the chat, he praised the Rubro-Negro's next opponent, Palmeiras, and spoke about the team's progress in the Brazilian Championship.


Check out the main points of the interview:

"Today we're much better prepared than we were at the start of the championship to face stronger teams, as is natural. We've demonstrated our understanding of tactical and technical developments. We're experiencing a period of growth."

- You can't choose your opponent, the teams are increasingly structured.

Game at 11am

"We have to overcome this. We've been training at 10 a.m. to prepare ourselves. The schedule is different, but I don't think it will change anything for us."

"Palmeiras has been on a losing streak, but they've assembled a great squad. I think they'll be a formidable opponent. I think the team was already gelling with Gabriel at Palmeiras, but his injury has caused a setback; he plays with different characteristics. Maybe the team will be more creative without him, but they've been struggling. It won't change anything for us; they'll be playing at home anyway, and we have to be focused for the full 90 minutes."

"All clubs are like this; there's always someone to carry the piano. Our role today requires us to get forward more, shoot on goal, and we have to evolve to avoid falling behind. We have to understand what the coach tells us; fans and the press sometimes don't follow everything we experience in training and don't see what we work on. The important thing is to live day to day, give our best, and be able to help our team on the field."

"We have to sacrifice ourselves for the team, of course, in some games. That's what happened against Atlético-PR; Cristóvão asked us to rest Emerson up front. Maybe if Alan Patrick and Éderson had to drop to the wing, we'd lose their quality there. I was asked to close down the wing, and of course, if they ask me to do it again, I'll sacrifice myself. We got the three points, and that's what's important."

"Every coach wants to have several options. The championship is changing a lot, and it's going to be a game after game. With fatigue, having everyone available, and then also the players who have been leaving the DM, it's good for Cristóvão to have the best team in every game."