After the derby against Botafogo, which ended in a 2-1 victory for the red-and-blacks at the Engenhão stadium, coach Zé Ricardo appeared in the stadium's press room to give a press conference. The coach analyzed the team's performance in the match and commented on the players' physical condition at the start of the season. Completing 200 appearances for the Mais Querido, striker Éverton's performance was also a focus of the interview.

I saw maturity in our team. I liked what I saw in the first half, trying to break the four-man line. The pitch was a bit hard and uneven, and Botafogo took advantage of the space. We struggled because of the opponent's high level of mobilization.

We knew that after this game we could accumulate more fatigue. In the second half, we slowed down, and Botafogo grew into the match. We'd already been signaling that starting next week we'd have our players in better shape. We only play on Thursday, against América-MG, and then the semifinal. We'll rest this Monday, and then the medical department will analyze each case so that decisions can be made.

I have to congratulate him. He was a champion here, and he embodies what it means to be a Flamengo fan. He's extremely involved and always in a good mood. Éverton demonstrates great consistency, and I'm happy he scored the winning goal on the day of his 200th appearance for the club.

I had a private conversation with him when he returned from the Copa América, explaining how important he is to us. He's very competent at what he does. We have a specific conversation during every training session. He's very interested, motivated, and committed to supporting Flamengo. He's happy to be playing for the club, and that makes him perform better. The group has been playing closely with him, it's important to emphasize. With technically sound players alongside an athlete with great finishing ability, good things will come of it.