Defender David Luiz was the guest on FlaTV's "Resenha do Craque" this Friday (14) and chatted about his good performance in the 2-0 victory against Athletico Paranaense last Wednesday (12). The number 23, who showed security in the red-black defense, commented on the Mais Querido's qualification for the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil, and also projected the confrontation against Fluminense, on Sunday (16), at Maracanã. Check out some excerpts from the interview:

About his beginnings and the freedom to go out and play
"I'm happy with the evolution of football, which now values ​​this. When I started, it wasn't like that; not many coaches liked defenders who went out and built the ball. I think that over the years, football has evolved, and today, you even evaluate the goalkeeper by his feet; it's part of that. So, increasingly, in the game, this understanding of tempo is needed. The more you have the ball in the build-up, the more you have it, the more you have the opportunity to not only attack but also defend with the ball. That's always been my idea, and today I see the evolution of football with so many skilled defenders building from the back."


Relationship with Sampaoli
"Sampaoli gives us the freedom to understand the game, what we should do, what the game offers us. So, he doesn't confine us to anything, but rather to understand what's happening in the match, where and who has the space. Often, the ball is at a defender's feet and there's space, he encourages us to enjoy it, because that will benefit the team."

Relationship with the fans and the club
"It's one of the best moments of my career. You only realize how big Flamengo is when you're here. You can imagine and think about things, but when you're here, you understand its greatness. That's why I try to enjoy it as best I can, with great dedication, doing everything I've always done, with great professionalism. My joy is always seeing the joy of others; that's one of my personality traits. So, Flamengo gives you this opportunity because of the greatness of the nation. We always have to think about trying to bring joy to the fans every weekend, and that's always my goal. Often, it's not possible, but we completely understand when they're unhappy; that's part of being a club that's used to winning."


Importance for youth players
"For me, this is one of my greatest joys in life. Being able to help these kids, just as they did me at the beginning of my career, being able to share some of my experiences, my studies, because I want to be a coach one day, and I already have my dossier written, a few pages long. These kids, often, just need a little adjustment or two, because they are incredibly talented and possess such quality, whether on the field, positioning, technique, tactics, or just a little nudge about discipline, physical and mental. Usually, it's a hug, a word to ease the pressure so they can do what they know."

*Text supervised by Rômulo Paranhos

Watch the full "Resenha do Craque":