Over the past five years, there have been three state championship finals and two tournament finals. Flamengo and Botafogo have been intensifying their rivalry in the Campeonato Carioca (Rio de Janeiro State Championship) since 2007. This Wednesday, the two teams will face each other again, staging another chapter in this duel between intimate rivals at the Maracanã. On the sidelines, two coaches who know very well what they will be facing on the other side.

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Botafogo fans have been highlighting the fact that Joel Santana coached Flamengo between 2007 and 2008. After all, the Flamengo team maintained the same core group of players from that time. However, for Flamengo's current coach, Andrade, this is not an advantage for the team from General Severiano. An assistant coach at Flamengo for years, the coach says he also knows Botafogo well.

"The fact that Joel knows our team doesn't help him at all. We also know our opponent very well. We've watched Botafogo's games, and we've competed against them for the title in the last three consecutive years," he said.

Despite this, Andrade believes that Botafogo, with the arrival of their new coach, has improved significantly in the competition. The Flamengo coach also believes that the unexpected defeat in the Copa do Brasil may give the Botafogo team extra motivation.

"Since Joel arrived, the Botafogo team has improved; just look at the results with him. When we lost to Barueri last year, the team's last defeat until then, we sat down and talked about the result. Now they are coming off a loss to São Raimundo, and that could also help them, just as it did for us," he explained.

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Flamengo hasn't lost to Botafogo in ten games. There have been five draws and five wins since 2008. Later today, if the red-and-black team manages another victory over their rival, they will secure a place in the final of the 2010 Taça Guanabara against Vasco, who eliminated Fluminense last Saturday.