After the draw with Coritiba that dashed Flamengo's title chances, coach Zé Ricardo gave a press conference at the Maracanã. The coach praised the commitment of his players throughout the championship, admitted his frustration at not reaching first place, but is already focused on the game against Santos, a direct confrontation for a place in the Libertadores group stage. 

Check out the main excerpts:

Head held high
Of course we're frustrated, but we now have a secondary objective: fighting for second place. We have a week to prepare the team for the direct confrontation with Santos.

We had a good first half. It had been a long time since we'd played at that level. We conceded a goal at the very end, and things didn't go our way in the second half. We couldn't keep possession in attack, Coritiba came forward and gained ground. We created some counter-attacking opportunities after that, but we didn't take advantage of them and were punished. In the end, we conceded the equalizer. I'm very sorry for the fans who came to watch from home, but rest assured it hurts us too. As Flamengo fans, we really wanted to win.

The fans have the right to protest. We are all responsible for the defeats, the victories, and today, the draw. We can't point the finger at anyone. We fought hard, and I can guarantee that the players honored and will continue to honor the red-and-black jersey. But in football, sometimes things don't happen the way we want. It serves as a lesson; life goes on. We will find the strength to overcome this mourning, overcome this frustration, and do our best in these last two matches.