Ex-Dragon leads Porto’s rivals: “Fondness, but no revenge” | OneFootball

An old dragon is starting a coaching career in Celorico de Basto and will now have the chance to face the club where he spent part of his training, between 2007 and 2008.

Rafael Seixas, 35 years old, has been leading Celoricense since last season. Without losing his composure, the former central defender stated that the lessons from his time as a player at FC Porto have helped shape the team's mentality.

Rafael did not hide his emotion: “It was one of the most beautiful moments I experienced. I grew a lot as a person, as a player, and the values I try to instill in my team are what I learned at FC Porto. Is there any personal satisfaction? Of course, but it's not revenge. Things didn't happen back then because they weren't meant to, but it's still a special experience,” Rafael Seixas began, admitting that this is a game “with more visibility” for his team and revealing “a mix of emotions” following the draw: “No one was prepared, many things went through my mind. I asked myself: ‘Why us?’ It's one of the teams in the best form in Europe, intense, with great players, but we are preparing for the game in the best way.”

Although he hasn't contacted anyone from FC Porto before this meeting, Rafael hopes to see old acquaintances and “recall good memories” in Saturday's duel. “Coach João Brandão was my coach, while Castro crossed paths with me. Now is the time to remember good moments from the past,” he emphasized, adding that Celoricense has more Porto influence than it seems: “We look a lot at trendy coaches. Much of Celoricense's ways were taken from FC Porto's style of play. We like to be pressing, intense, and FC Porto is that.”

Referring to sources of inspiration for his profile as a coach, he mentioned names linked to Porto football: “There's the case of Farioli and Ruben Amorim, among others. I also really like Sérgio Conceição, for the intensity he imposes in games and the way the team presents itself on the field. I have other examples, like Renato Coimbra, who you will surely hear more about in the future, I am inspired by him,” he highlighted, before explaining his tactical system: “It's a 4-3-3, but in terms of defensive organization, we vary according to the opponent.”

Debut in the “main” presentation of 2007/08

Rafael Seixas also recalls being the first to wear the main team's jersey during the presentation of the 2007/08 kits. At the time still in the under-19s, the player participated in the ceremony held on the Douro River, along with André Pinto and Hugo Ventura, then teammates in the youth category.

The coach recounted the occasion with a backstage curiosity: “The main team wasn't immediately available, and we were the ones chosen,” the coach began to detail, moving on to a curiosity: “I wasn't even supposed to wear the blue and white kit, but the alternative, completely white. However, it was too big for me and fit André [Pinto], so I ended up with the main one.”

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