After the final clash of the first phase of the Guanabara Cup, which saw Flamengo beat Madureira 4-0 and secure the lead in Group B of the competition, Zé Ricardo gave a press conference in the press room of the Raulino de Oliveira stadium, in Volta Redonda.

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The coach commented on the red-and-black team's performance in the match, praising the importance of Paolo Guerrero and commenting on the changes made to the team during the second half. He also commented on the performance of the young players who participated in the second half. Lucas Paquetá's stunning goal, scoring his first goal for the senior team, was one of the highlights of the match.

See the main excerpts:

I always talk about Paolo's importance. A confident player certainly enhances his potential on the field, and he's very confident and happy alongside his teammates. The natural tendency is for more and more opportunities to arise. When they do, we'll seize them, as he's a top-notch player.

Our plan was to substitute Guerrero and then Diego, who were both on yellow cards. I asked them to remain calm. After the goal, I called Vizeu and was later informed that Guerrero had felt some discomfort. I don't think it's anything to worry about for the weekend.

Their strong performances are a consequence of what's been done at the youth level. The club has been investing in talent production, striving for the best performance. Today, we have four or five extremely competent professionals managing the youth teams. Our president said he would invest in this. It's very difficult to break into Flamengo's professional ranks, and this is the guarantee of good work.

He has a wonderful history with the club; I've known him since the youth team. Paquetá had difficult times, but he overcame them. I'm happy to be a part of this moment for him. We know how hard he worked to get where he is. I hope he can maintain this high level and continue to help us.