Farioli on Mec signing and forwards’ role: “André ran 12km…” | OneFootball

Was it difficult to manage the Champions League squad list? “We had to make decisions based on the needs and the scenarios we’re going to face. Leaving Prpic out was difficult. He has been with us for a year and has helped us a lot. I explained that to him yesterday. He was happy to stay here, to be able to help, and he supported the decision. Not being on the European list does not compromise anything, because he will have time to help us. All 23/24 players will have an important role.”

Giménez was called up and has not played since the World Cup. He is recovering from an injury and will not be able to play many minutes. With three matches in one week, does André Silva risk being overloaded? “Yes, he does. Now, with Santi, we have to take it day by day and look at the situation as it is, following his progress. I believe that tomorrow we may be able to use the match to understand what condition he is in. The summer was not easy for him. The last two years have been complicated. Without questioning the player’s level—he had a big impact at the clubs where he played—he has experience and arrives very hungry and eager to help, starting tomorrow. But we have to be very clear about how we are going to manage him and bring him back to his best level. André is in top form, in very good shape. In Viseu, he ran almost 12 kilometres. We were even laughing about the fact that he was almost at Froholdt’s numbers. It says a lot about his spirit and ambition, about putting himself at the service of the team, scoring goals, defending attentively, and the extra metres he is covering in every phase of the game to help the team. And also about his leadership and the confidence his teammates have in him. When Samu returns, these three players will have a very important role in many stages of the season. We want all three of them to be in the best possible shape.”

Gabriel Mec has traits similar to Rodrigo Mora’s. In what position do you imagine him playing? “I don’t disagree. He has certain traits of Rodrigo Mora. He is a bit more of a winger, but he can also play as an attacking midfielder. He had a good start to his career at Grêmio and has a lot of potential. FC Porto is always ready and alert to possible opportunities in the market. A player with this potential made us want to try to sign him. We have to see how he develops. There is a lot of work to do. He has to grow physically and adapt to the new demands. No rush with him, without forcing anything, but we want him to be ready as quickly as possible. His opportunity will come.”

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