Farioli on Villas-Boas' words: “They reflected the reality of both clubs” | OneFootball

At the pre-match press conference ahead of the Clássico with Sporting, the coach of FC Porto, Francesco Farioli, addressed the recent comments by André Villas-Boas and the team's preparation after the defeat against Casa Pia. The match against the Lions is scheduled for Monday at 8:45 p.m. at the Dragão.

What kind of FC Porto can we expect?: “The same as always. A team with attitude, great spirit, and the desire to step onto the pitch to win.”

Estádio do Dragão full: “It proves the spirit and desire of the fans to be with us. To give the right support. At the end of the game against Casa Pia, that support was already clear. We approached the week with the right feeling and tomorrow we have to have the right energy to feel that support.”

The week after the defeat in Rio Maior: “It was a very good and very positive week. The day after, we had a training match with the B team, then a day off, and then a normal week. Well, not normal, because we’re not very used to having a clear week to prepare for a game. But the attitude and intensity were very good, the weather didn’t make training easy, but I think everyone approached the week with the right mindset. The most important thing is to transfer that to tomorrow’s game, but I have no doubts about that.”

Comments from André Villas-Boas: “The context is a bit more nuanced than that. The president’s words were a statement of the reality of the two clubs. Sporting intends to be champions and is a Champions League team. We are a team working to bring FC Porto back to its place. He spoke about the period we are in. That’s the reality. We are in a good position to compete for the League, qualified for the top-8 of the Europa League, and still in the Portuguese Cup. We are where we deserve to be. Every point was earned with a lot of hard work. We have all the tools to compete in every competition. We are all aligned and on the same page.”

Having Moffi and Seko Fofana: “They are working to be in good shape. They need time to be at the same level as the others. Tomorrow they could be part of the game. It depends on how things go.”

Slow start in recent matches: “In the last game I wouldn’t say we started badly, because against Casa Pia we had four or five shots on goal, but in reality, the first time the opponent crossed the halfway line, they scored. We need to pay extra attention. We worked this week to correct some issues, but sometimes things happen at different moments and in different minutes of the game. At the level we play, when you drop your concentration, you can give away a chance and it can cost a goal. We have to stay connected at all times, both offensively and defensively.”

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