Luiz Otávio eyes Avaí clash, mentoring young players | OneFootball

Photo: Felipe Santos/Ceará SC

It’s now been 10 seasons, 318 official matches, and the adoration of an entire nation. Luiz Otávio has been a symbol of Ceará in recent years. A starter in the last three black-and-white matches, the defender spoke at the pre-match press conference for Avaí x Ceará, a game set for Saturday the 3rd.

Looking ahead to the clash, Luiz highlighted Avaí’s historic strength at home, which on its own already makes the match difficult, and said that next Saturday’s meeting becomes even more decisive because of how close the two teams are in the standings.

“Everyone already knows it’s a very difficult game. Playing Avaí there in Florianópolis is always tough. We’ve been approaching it, not just this week but the previous ones as well, like the games of our lives. We’ve been in a comeback campaign, and I hope the result from the last game against them can happen again,” he said.

Ceará’s captain for at least six years, Luiz Otávio has leadership as one of the defining traits of his career. In 2026, with a squad full of young players, that stands out even more. When asked how he handles that in relation to the younger players, Luiz mentioned the fundamental values he tries to reinforce with each of them.

“Experience, the years, and the pursuit of knowledge have given me that. I didn’t have the chance to have so many people helping me at the start of my career, and that’s why I try to do that. I try to help and guide all the players who have come up, and I always stress to them the importance of maintaining good character, integrity, and honoring their word. I hope they can keep listening, as they have been,” he added.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.