“Write our name in history”

— I think the more a team plays, the more it knows itself. It was a different context, a climate, a different lawn. The desire to win is the same. Since then, some important players have left, others have arrived. This group reinvented itself by winning the most important titles in America. This is a new opportunity to make history. We know its importance and hope to write our name in history. It won’t be easy, he said at a press conference the day before the match.

— We are not talking about the match against Bayern. Every game is a different game. It will be like that against Paris, which is different, even if the intensity and energy of the pressing are the same. At that point, I thought the plan was the best. There will now be another plan that I believe will bring the team closer to victory, without abandoning our main beliefs of the season. This is what Flamengo’s DNA demands. Ultimately, as Luiz Araújo said, try to make as few mistakes as possible. We know how difficult it is to reverse the result in the final, underlined Filipe.

The coach has a big clash tomorrow with Spaniard Luis Enrique, who led PSG to an unprecedented European title this season. The red and black player once again congratulated his opponent and declared that his team is an example to follow.

— We will only know the difference after the match. Now we can’t say anything, because we never clashed. Flamengo of 2025 against PSG of 2025. Luis Enrique is a coach who needs no comments, the best in the world, he has won all the awards he deserves. As a player we faced each other several times, with him at Barcelona, ​​and if I’m not mistaken, at Celta. They were intense matches, we went to the limit. I was even sent off (at Atlético de Madrid) for a tackle on Messi, for his part, something that marked me. Spectacular team. What he demonstrated to the football world is that everyone must run. They lost their biggest star (Mbappé), created such a solid team, and everyone ran, managed to win the most dreamed of title, which is the Champions League. An example that we can follow, he admitted.

In 2019, under the orders of Jorge Jesus, Flamengo lost the World Cup final to Liverpool. Filipe Luís said he had not spoken to the Portuguese about this opportunity and said he wanted to confirm his players to make history.

— We did not speak (Jorge Jesus). Of course it’s possible, I pass it on to the players, because I think my players are the best. I’ve always said it since I arrived, as I see them in training. This group is capable of anything. This year has not been easy, several opponents have put us in difficulty. PSG will do it. It is important that the team knows how to play all phases of the game to win.

Regarding match strategy, Filipe said nothing about whether the team was playing with the ball or reactively, nor did he comment on whether Pedro could benefit from more minutes on the pitch.

— It’s never this thought with or without a ball. First, it’s the player’s and the team’s time, what the team needs. The two phases are not separate, they go hand in hand. Of course, it is important that they know what to do with or without the ball. I already know what to do, but there is still one day left to define the best eleven, in my opinion, to be able to neutralize and play against PSG.