Carlos Martingo: “We achieved all our aims for this match” | OneFootball

After FC Porto returned to the league with a 40-25 win over Belenenses, Carlos Martingo said the objectives set for the match had been achieved. The handball team’s coach highlighted the collective response, the return of Diogo Rêma, and the opportunity given to younger players, while acknowledging that there is still work to be done. Looking back on the start of the season, he assured: “the assessment so far is clearly positive.”

In a game where a strong start allowed them to control the course of the match, Carlos Martingo saw the performance as a sign of the group’s quality and commitment. His satisfaction is clear, but it comes with the level of demanding standards the coach refuses to give up: there is room to grow.

Asked about the match against Belenenses, the coach stressed that the team responded to the plans that had been laid out, in a game where squad management was also among the priorities.

“We ended up putting in a very pleasing performance. We knew we had to start well so that we could then manage the team, and that was achieved almost entirely, with the exception of João Gomes,” he said. “All the objectives set for this game were met.”

Martingo’s reading of the victory goes beyond the result, emphasizing the way the team managed to impose itself and deliver what was asked of it. Managing resources therefore also makes room for another positive sign left by the match.

Diogo Rêma’s return deserved special mention, as did the use of young players who have been working regularly with the team.

“It is a source of great satisfaction to see Diogo Rêma’s return. Soon we will also have other players returning, and we are also using these games – now a little out of necessity – to give opportunities to these young players who have been working with us regularly, although we know they are not completely ready. These experiences are what will help them become better in the future.”

Between the return of players and the exposure of the younger ones to competitive demands, the coach sees a process that is still unfolding. The commitment to them does not ignore their lack of full readiness, but treats those experiences as part of their path to growth.

When it came time to assess the season so far, Carlos Martingo struck a satisfied note about what the team has shown, tempered by the awareness that the journey is far from over.

“We are all very satisfied with what the players have shown on the court,” he stressed. “We still have a very long way to go and plenty of room for improvement, but the assessment so far is clearly positive.”

It is a positive assessment, without triumphalism. The team is showing signs that please the coach, but the ambition remains focused on what still has to be built.

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