Farioli has had the tightest defence for 3 straight years in 3 countries | OneFootball

The first year of Francesco Farioli at the helm of FC Porto confirmed a trend already evident in the career of the 37-year-old Italian coach. At every club he has managed, he has built veritable walls in front of his goal — figuratively speaking — which has allowed him to end the last three seasons [the only ones in which he coached a team from start to finish] with the best defensive record in their respective leagues.

The run began in 2023/2024 with Nice, who finished Ligue 1 with the stingiest defence after conceding just 29 goals. Then came Ajax in the Netherlands, with 32, followed by FC Porto, who raised the bar even further by allowing only 18 goals in 34 matchdays.

The 2025/2026 season ultimately served as a kind of consolidation of Farioli’s method. It was the season in which a team coached by the Italian kept the most clean sheets [21, compared to 17 at Nice and 16 at Ajax], in which the goalkeeper made the fewest saves per match [1.9, compared to 2.3 at Nice and 2.5 at Ajax], and in which their own mistakes led to the fewest goals conceded — just one [compared to four at Nice and Ajax], according to SofaScore data.

Among the top four teams in the league, FC Porto were also the side that committed the most fouls per game [13.9], a sign of the intensity with which they reacted after losing the ball. Sporting averaged 12.2, Sp. Braga 11.8, and Benfica were in fact the least foul-prone team in the league, with an average of 11.1 infringements per match.

An attack still with room to improve

If the word Catenaccio crossed your mind to describe Farioli’s title-winning FC Porto [perhaps because of the coach’s roots], it may be best to tone down that interpretation.

More than just a defensive team, Porto were dominant on the pitch, spending much of the game in the opposition half looking to break down opposing lines.

Even so, they trailed their rivals in several attacking indicators, such as goals scored [66, compared to Sporting’s 89 and Benfica’s 74], big chances created [97, again behind Sporting (121) and Benfica (111)], shots per game [14.5, compared to Sporting’s 17.6 and Benfica’s 17], and shots on target [5.3 per match, behind Sporting (6.8) and Benfica (6)].

The dragons also ranked fourth for average possession per game [55 percent], in a list led by Sp. Braga [62.9 percent], followed by Sporting [61.9 percent] and Benfica [57.8 percent].

So how does this FC Porto compare with Farioli’s previous projects? Ultimately, the numbers show that the Italian coach has been trying to help his teams grow in the attacking-organisation phase.

The figures posted by Ajax in 2024/2025 are in line with Porto’s this season, and both are clearly better than those recorded by Nice two seasons ago.

It is true that, among the three clubs, Nice are the only one not involved in the title race in their country, but the attacking numbers they produced in Ligue 1 in 2023/2024 were modest. Their 40 goals scored were enough only for the 12th-best tally in the league, even behind relegated Lorient [43].

There is also one curious detail: Farioli’s teams have shown a strong attraction to the woodwork. This season, FC Porto hit the frame of the goal 19 times in the league [only Tondela did so more often, with 20], one fewer than Ajax in the Eredivisie in 2024/2025. A year earlier, Nice had already hit the woodwork nine times in Ligue 1.

What conclusion can be drawn from analysing the last three teams of Francesco Farioli? That they are balanced, disciplined, intense sides with absolute commitment.

At FC Porto, the coach also confirmed the maxim that attacks win matches, but defences win championships. Third time was the charm for the Italian, who was ultimately named coach of the year in the Portuguese league.

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