Francesco Farioli, the FC Porto manager, has praised his team’s performance across three competitions, despite the season being earmarked as one of ‘reconstruction’. He made the comments in anticipation of their Liga Portugal Betclic match against Moreirense.
Farioli highlighted their progress in the league, the Taça de Portugal, and the Liga Europa, following their 2-1 victory against Stuttgart. He was speaking at a press conference at the Centro de Treinos e Formação Desportiva Jorge Costa.
“The fact that we manage the quality and energy of the group in three competitions says a lot about the work that has been achieved. It is important to remember that this was supposedly a season of reconstruction and we earned the right to be in this situation in March, to be masters of our own destiny,” he said.
Praise for the Opposition
Farioli spoke highly of Moreirense, referencing their current league position and the previous match between the two sides. He expects a difficult game against them.
“It’s good to be back at the Dragão, after three games away. We are playing against a team that has been one of the best surprises of the championship, that plays very well. The fact that they are comfortable in the table, as Vasco [Botelho da Costa] said, should not make us relax, but the opposite. The first leg, despite having been controlled by us, was very difficult to unlock,” he stated.
Farioli Unconcerned About Title Race, Critical of Scheduling
Farioli dismissed the importance of potentially gaining a seven-point lead over Sporting, who have a game in hand. The FC Porto coach instead focused on the organisation of the league calendar.
“We remain focused on ourselves and on our game. The fact that other teams have had the possibility to postpone their games is a very particular decision. Sporting have a very tight schedule, like us, and there is no space until the last week to recover that game in arrears. We should not waste energy on things that we do not control,” he said.
Farioli added that FC Porto must adapt to different phases of the game, considering the number of matches they are playing.