After Sunday's derby loss to Fluminense, interim coach Zé Ricardo spoke to the press. In the interview, he analyzed the match and didn't blame the players for individual mistakes.

The game is played out over several moments. We had opportunities to come away with a better result. Some days go our way, others against us. We also have to congratulate the Fluminense team.

He did what we expected. His presence is important; we hope to have him throughout the competition. He's a very intelligent player.

I have a lot of confidence in him; he's a player who can combine speed with good technique. He can be a huge help.

The Brazilian Championship presents nuances that prevent us from positioning any major favorites. It's the sequences of results that ultimately give us confirmation. Many teams are building themselves, and Flamengo is one of them. It has the potential to compete at the top. Now it's time to fight against Internacional to recover the three points.

Defeat in the classic
We're frustrated about falling out of the top four, but I'm not disappointed about losing my first derby as a professional. There will be more, and we'll win. We played well, but we didn't get the three points. That's part of it. We played a game that was within our strategic expectations. We created chances. Unfortunately, we couldn't convert them into goals.