Farioli on FC Porto strikers, praise: “He doesn't know how good he can be” | OneFootball

Francesco Farioli previewed the match between FC Porto and Alverca, corresponding to the opening round of the 2026/2027 Primeira Liga season. At the press conference, the Porto coach also addressed the situation of the squad’s three strikers.

“Samu’s return? We have an estimate, but I think it’s still far too early to consider him an option for us, unfortunately”, the coach began, before giving an update on the other centre-forwards.

“They are two different players. André is a mature player, with a lot of experience. A player who was born and raised here. He had a fantastic career at several big clubs and decided to come back home. A few days ago, he won his first trophy in the FC Porto shirt. And he has put himself at the service of the team. A very curious lad about everything we do — this is already the third or fourth time that, after a training session or a meeting, he came up to me and asked what he could do better. And for me, as a coach, that is something very special. A player with his experience having that ability and curiosity to keep learning… He is a very mobile player, has a strong presence in the box, and knows how to be the trigger at the start of defensive actions, pressing the opponent. Deniz? He doesn’t know how good he can be. Super fast, super strong… Of course he has to find the best way to contribute to the team, but the potential is enormous. He likes to work, to improve. Last season, he saw that Samu got injured and took responsibility. He has been one of the main protagonists in our team and one of the reasons why we managed to win the title. And now it is up to him to help the team achieve its objectives again”, highlighted Francesco Farioli.

Kick-off for FC Porto-Alverca is scheduled for 6:00 pm this Sunday, 9 August, at the Estádio do Dragão.

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