At the end of the electrifying Fla-Flu match that decided the Taça Guanabara title, Zé Ricardo appeared in the Engenhão press room to give a press conference after the classic, which resulted in the Mais Querido's defeat on penalties.

During the conversation with reporters, the coach analyzed the match's development and praised the performance, both on the field and in the stands, emphasizing the peaceful atmosphere among the fans. Among other topics, Zé also commented on the team's spirit for their debut in the CONMEBOL Libertadores Bridgestone this Wednesday (08), against San Lorenzo-ARG.

The first half was unusual. We're known for having a very balanced defense, but it took us a while to read Fluminense's strategy. The scoring opportunities were strange, but that doesn't take away from our responsibility. They were more focused on the match than our team, and I believe they deserved the victory more.

It was a great match. It's not every day you see a championship final with six goals. I also want to praise the performance of both sets of fans. It was a great spectacle.

This serves as a warning. Wednesday brings us a new battle in the continent's most important competition. We remain undefeated, having drawn the match. They were more competent in the penalty shootout. Now we'll try to recover quickly. The fans will see the team fully focused and ready to put on a great performance against San Lorenzo.

All the batters performed very well. The one who was feeling better, more in shape, batted. Today we had a headwind, which happens to everyone. We have to get through this and look forward.

We quickly sought an equalizer and a comeback. We didn't perform so well in the first half; the result didn't reflect the performance we would have liked. The second half was more evenly matched. We had opportunities to win, but congratulations to everyone. We weren't technically brilliant, but we fought until the end, believing we could get the result.