In a press conference held after training this Friday (02) at CT George Helal, Zé Ricardo recalled the good times experienced during the team's stay in Chapecó before the match against Chapecoense. From the gesture made by the Santa Catarina team's board of directors in providing their training center for the red-blacks' training sessions to the contact with the local population, the word that sums it all up is kindness.

Among other topics, the coach spoke about the difficult times he's been through, expressing his solidarity with all the families affected by this disaster. Zé also discussed the impacts on Flamengo's week, from the difficulty concentrating this week due to the incident to the schedule for the final round of the Brazilian Championship.

It's a very sad moment, a true tragedy. We deeply sympathize with the loss of these 71 people, along with all their family and friends. It's a major blow not only to the world of football, but also to journalism, with protests taking place around the world. It's a fact that will remain etched in our hearts for a long time. Our smiles were frozen this week. We couldn't concentrate 100% on work, as it's impossible to ignore what happened.

I had a brief but positive experience with Chapecoense. Some time ago, I mentioned that I was finishing the competition, even about Chapecoense itself, due to their being in the South American final. We went to play there the week of our debut in this competition, against Figueirense at the Orlando Scarpelli stadium, and from there we went straight to Chapecó. My first shock was when I learned that we would be training at their training center. They kindly gave us the space, so my first impression was extremely positive. Getting to know the city and its people, the club showed a very different approach to football.

On the day of the match, we were in the locker room before warming up, and Caio Júnior appeared from the Chapecoense locker room. Even though we didn't know him personally, we went to meet him, and he wished me luck and congratulated me on everything we'd been doing. I also congratulated him on his recent achievements in the Arab world. He was very kind, and the reception was the best possible. It was a short conversation, but I sensed a lot of sincerity in his words. From that moment on, he gained another fan. We were rooting hard for Chapecoense in this final, and unfortunately, all this happened. I can only congratulate Chapecoense for everything they've accomplished and hope they bounce back as soon as possible, as strong as, or even stronger than, they were.

Demonstrations around the world

Everyone wanted to show their affection and solidarity. They even repeated a quote from Mother Teresa of Calcutta: "If you don't have anything big to do, do the small things, but with great love." I prayed with great intention for all those directly involved. If we, who are outside this core group, deeply feel what happened, I imagine all of them. 

We don't yet know exactly what will happen, but we understand that both sides have their reasons. We're trying to stick to our schedule, as the match is initially scheduled for the 11th. We'll wait and see what happens. Flamengo continues to prepare. Obviously, this week has been a bit more difficult. We've spoken with the players and tried to make everyone feel more comfortable expressing their feelings in their own way. We've left these sessions with more general content so we can have a good start to the next week. We've scheduled two days off for them on Saturday and Sunday so they can be with their families, as this possibility has crossed our minds. We travel a lot throughout the year. For me alone, having arrived mid-year, there were 68 departures and landings. After this event, it's impossible not to imagine ourselves in this situation. 

On Tuesday, we canceled training as soon as we learned what happened. On Wednesday, we had a long conversation about respecting the timing of anyone who wasn't comfortable training. They made themselves available to work very professionally. I can only acknowledge the strength and character of our group, as they were extremely professional during these three days. Next week, we'll wait and see what happens. I don't know how this legislation works, what the interests of A, B, or C dictate. The fact is, we'll prepare in case we have to play. We'll face a very high-quality opponent. However, this is a time to express solidarity with our athletes as well, as some were deeply affected by everything that happened.

That's taking a back seat right now, especially since everyone felt it so much. Obviously, the match will require immense concentration from us, and I hope we've recovered from this setback. Many tributes will be paid, and we'll pay ours as well, and once the ball is rolling, we'll try to defend our current position. To do so, we'll have to play a very high level of performance. We showed during the competition that we're capable of playing this type of game.