In an activity held on the morning of this Wednesday (11), coach Reinaldo Rueda made the final adjustments to the team before the duel against Fluminense. At the end of the work on the field, Réver was present at the Victorino Chermont Press Room, at Ninho do Urubu, to give a press conference. As expected, the classic received the main attention during the conversation with the journalists.

The club's quest to regain its triumphs in the national competition was emphasized by the Flamengo captain. "It's a very important game, especially since we're coming off a poor result in the Brazilian Championship, where we're looking to bounce back. We have a very difficult derby tomorrow, so I hope we can get back to winning ways so we can once again dream of our biggest goal, which is to always be fighting for titles here at Flamengo," commented the number 15.

Last night, Gustavo Cuéllar's Colombian national team secured a spot in the World Cup in Russia, while Paolo Guerrero and Miguel Trauco's Peru will face off in the playoff. Due to the proximity of the clash between the national teams and tomorrow's derby, these players' participation in the Fla-Flu match is in doubt. The captain analyzed these absences.

"They will be huge losses, but we have confidence in the players who will come in. We're suffering from the absence of these players due to the call-ups, so I hope this will further strengthen those who have the opportunity. That they can come in and deliver. It's unlikely that Paolo will be 'forgotten' by the fans due to his strength and history, but I'm sure whoever comes in will give their best and fight, as always. I hope we can make up for the absence of these players," he said.

Coach Reinaldo Rueda's current team's record against their rivals this season is positive for the Red-Blacks, with two wins and three draws in five matches. However, the numbers don't translate off the field, especially when it comes to a clash of such magnitude.

"It's difficult to talk about a classic without this one being tense. The teams' moments may be different, but at the same time, they're similar, as recent matches haven't yielded positive results. It has everything to be a great game, and I hope everything goes well," noted Réver, who also appealed to the fans who will be present at Maracanã tomorrow. "Regardless of what happens, we ask for peace in the stadiums and for the fans to collaborate with that. Football is life, not violence. We hope Flamengo can play well and we can come away with a result," he added.

Paolo is a very different player. The respect his opponents have, especially defensively, is clear when he's playing. I believe this may be the main difference. It doesn't mean that whoever comes in won't be up to the task; quite the opposite. Whoever comes in to replace Paolo has to give their all so that other opportunities can arise. He helps us a lot in the air, but he's also a player with great technical quality on the ground. This creates space for other players. 

Rueda has been opting for Paquetá, but nothing has been finalized for tomorrow's game yet. The difference between him and Vizeu, in my opinion, is that Paquetá is more of a midfielder than a striker, who likes to have the ball at his feet. Vizeu, on the other hand, is a center forward who finishes, an opportunistic striker. I believe this is the main difference between the two.

We know it's always good to win classics. This won't minimize the pain the fans have been feeling these past few weeks, much less ours, because it's difficult. We're trying to explain, especially in a final you end up losing, that we were superior to our opponent in the game. We have to quickly turn this around and keep going after these victories so the fans can trust us again.

Just as Fluminense lost this game, we'll also have some absences. I believe that just as everyone on the field here will strive to give their best, the same will happen with Fluminense. It has everything to be a great game, just as it always has been in this derby. I hope we can come away with the victory and get back to the top of the table.

Arão was joking a lot with Berrío. There was a situation with him here, at the Colombia-Brazil game, where he came wearing a Colombia jersey. The boys ended up joking with him. On the way out, the three of us were the last to leave training and we were discussing the result. Fortunately, Berrío arrived today with an infectious smile. On the other hand, we were also happy for Peru, which has a playoff ahead but has a chance of making it to the World Cup. This just proves the strength of our group.

From what I know about Paolo, I'm sure he'll want to be on the field. However, we know there's a lot going on behind the scenes. Maybe we'll have to hold back a bit due to the intensity of yesterday's match, so we don't lose the player for an extended period. Everything must be planned to avoid harming the player as well. I hope he can help us, as well as help Peru reach the World Cup.