Farioli: Good form, but tough times always lurk in football | OneFootball

Francesco Farioli presented the preview this Wednesday for the match between FC Porto and RB Salzburg, related to the first round of the regular phase of the Europa League.

The Dragons' coach foresees a demanding opponent and criticized the conditions of the pitch where the game will be played.

Farioli acknowledges that FC Porto is going through a good moment, but reminds that the team must remain vigilant against potential less positive phases.

Salzburg: “There are some similarities, no doubt. Before going deeper, Salzburg has depth, likes to press a lot, always looks at the game in a more vertical way, it's a team with many duels. There will be a moment during the game when we will have to play that way with them and others when we will have to bring the game to our style. We will have to be smart in managing that during the game.”

Good moment of the team: “The not-so-positive moments in football are always around the corner. We cannot relax. On the contrary, we must always be attentive to the details and everything we can improve. Surely tomorrow we will be prepared for that. On the other side, we will certainly have a team that will also try to come in strong to change the course of the last results.”

Victory in the Europa League?: “For us, it is very simple. We have to work with the same dedication and will every day. We want to go as far as possible. Being in Porto means we are at one end of Europe and Istanbul is on the other side of Europe.”

State of the pitch: “For me, it is not an excuse, it is a fact. We are going to play on a pitch that is not, at all, at the level of a European night: for football, but also for the safety of the players. There are so many rules in football, sometimes we even complain about the color of the socks. Of course, these are things that are important, but we definitely cannot accept having to play on this type of pitch, one of the main characteristics of the game. We will play tomorrow, but I believe going through this should not be necessary.”

Rotation?: “We will always approach game by game. That is what we want and it is the way I usually act. We will try to line up with the best possible eleven to maximize our chances of winning the games. European nights are prestigious and have to be played. I believe in the power of this group. Some players haven't played that much, but even so, when they were called upon, they performed well. We have to be prepared for everything. It is a good opportunity for the whole group. We are going through a good moment and we need to continue working hard to maintain this moment.”

Going to Austria means triumph in the Europa League: “It is a coincidence, but in May we will see if it will be more than a coincidence. There is information and data that are interesting. This morning, I shared a very interesting one with the players as well: in the last 16 FC Porto games in the Europa League, we only had two away wins in 13 years. It tells us that there is something that needs to change in our approach to this type of game. Tomorrow will be the first step in that direction. We are very focused on this mission we have ahead, against a great opponent.”

Diogo Costa: “It is a great privilege to have one of the best goalkeepers in the world on the team. It is a privilege from a technical point of view, of course, but also everything he means to the club and the group. He wears the armband and is an example in everything he does. It is not just praise. I hope the management makes an excellent negotiation and extends his contract for a long time.”

1 goal conceded in 6 games: “For us, the important thing is the present. The results and the good moment that exists among the fans and in the city, we have to be the ones to motivate all that. When we give them something, they give us back double. The results have been good, the games have been ‘OK’, but believe me, there is much to improve. I am aware that our consistency does not remain throughout the 90 minutes of the games. The level tomorrow has to be very high, as always.”

Return of the injured: “Good news, everyone is about to return, except for Luuk de Jong, who will still take a few weeks. Alberto returned a few days ago, has been doing well but we will still have to consider if he can play tomorrow. In the case of Martim and Alan, things are better, but we have to consider the opinion of the Performance Unit. We will do everything in our power to achieve the best possible result tomorrow.”

Group's receptiveness to his ideas: “We have tried to add something new to each game and each game has taken us to different scenarios. The basic principles are always present, but there are new things in each game. I am very grateful for having a group that is very receptive and accepts all the ideas we propose to them.”

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