Being sent off just two minutes into Flamengo's Copa Santander Libertadores debut left Willians deeply regretful. The number eight not only missed almost the entire debut, but also the Red-Blacks' second game in the competition. Aware of his mistake, the midfielder assures that it won't happen again.

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Williams explained that, in the play, his intention was simply to protect the ball from his opponent. However, by chance, his elbow ended up hitting the Chilean right in front of the assistant, who handed it to the referee.

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"That shouldn't have happened. I didn't mean to hit him. I just wanted to play harder, since the Libertadores is a different kind of competition, one that requires a lot of determination. I didn't mean to hurt him. It was unfortunate, and I felt really bad. That's never happened to me before. In the locker room, I prayed to God that everything would work out. I have to thank my teammates, who ran for me," he said.

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The player took the opportunity to publicly apologize to his teammates and coach Andrade. Despite this, he now considers the expulsion a thing of the past and is focusing his efforts on this Saturday's game against Macaé.

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"It happened, and I know it can't happen again. I have to apologize to my teammates and my coach and get my head together. I'm continuing my work and will do everything I can to help the team in the next game. Our team is well-coordinated. The matches go by, and we're getting closer and closer. I'm sure we'll get a good result against Macaé. In the Rio Cup, the big four will make it to the finals again. That's when the competition really begins," prophesied Willians.