Hugo Oliveira: Too much energy wasted arguing with referees | OneFootball

Famalicão hosts FC Porto this Sunday (6pm) with the ambition of extending the team’s positive momentum. In the pre-match press conference, coach Hugo Oliveira addressed the recent controversies surrounding refereeing.

“I would like all the energy spent on refereeing and opinions to be channeled into creating better communication conditions among everyone involved in football. It would be important to have more dialogue and education to improve the image of Portuguese football. I wish the referees’ positioning was clearer, that it was easier to understand decisions—what is a handball and what isn’t, for example. A lot of energy is wasted on refereeing discussions, when the main focus should be on promoting a more positive image of our football. This show is for families, for young people, and for children. Football is culture, and sporting culture must be linked to dialogue. The goal is for fans to come to the stadium, be with us, and watch a great football spectacle.”

What version of FC Porto do you expect to face?

“We’re going to face a very strong, tough opponent, who has been in great form since the start of the league. The standings don’t lie—based on the results, FC Porto has been the strongest team in the competition. The club has kept its characteristics, and their style of play reflects the coach’s ideas, which has brought results and victories. They haven’t lost in the league yet, so it will be an interesting challenge for us. We want to put our players in that context, show what we’re worth, and at the same time enjoy the game, fighting for the three points. We have to be ourselves, wherever we are, whoever we’re up against. Playing against the best should give us even more pleasure and responsibility to stay true to our identity.”

Can FC Porto’s physical management, due to playing in several competitions, affect the opponent?

“Those are the good headaches for big teams. It means they’re competing in several tournaments, but that doesn’t make the game any easier—it will be balanced. At our stadium, we’re a competent, aggressive team, but we have to be humble and honest. FC Porto is fighting to be champion, and this league will be contested until the end. They know that any point lost can make all the difference, so they’ll approach this game with maximum care. We have an aggressive and competitive attitude that matches this type of opponent. We can’t be anything other than ourselves.”

Can set pieces be decisive?

“Every moment of the game is important. Set pieces are one of those aspects, and FC Porto is one of the strongest teams in the league in those situations. We’ve also been competent in that area. We’ve only conceded four goals, which are indicators that make us satisfied. We know the potential we have and the path we want to follow to grow. We have young players, and we’ll field a young team against a more mature one, built to give FC Porto balance and experience.”

How do you prepare a team to take on FC Porto?

“I don’t like the narrative that FC Porto is an easy team to figure out. On the contrary, the most complex are those that seem simple. Their dynamics are very different, they have rehearsed movements and reach the opponent’s goal quickly. Even when the game seems predictable, there are several options those movements allow. FC Porto has only drawn one game, against Benfica, and won all the others with competence, whether at the start or end of matches, always maintaining the same identity. We’ve been growing. It’s nice to see young players with an interesting level of maturity, although there’s still a lot to develop. The responsibility is great, especially in a game like this.”

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