Farioli puts his faith in Pepê as he regains the spotlight at FC Porto | OneFootball

The signature of Francesco Farioli is evident not only in this season’s new signings, who quickly secured a place in the Dragão’s starting eleven—such as Bednarek, Kiwior, Froholdt, and Borja Sainz. The Italian coach has also revitalized previously essential players who were going through a less productive period. The most obvious example is Pepê.

After a lackluster performance in the second half of last season—with only one goal in the last official match, against Al Ahly in the Club World Cup, and no assists—the 28-year-old Brazilian winger has reemerged with Farioli’s arrival, receiving a new boost in his career.

At this stage of the 2025/26 season, the winger has three goals and five assists, regaining the prominence that made him a central figure in the team led by Sérgio Conceição and earned him call-ups to the Brazilian national team. Farioli restored the confidence he had lost in the previous season and gave him an important role within the squad.

“Pepê is very important, he’s had great games, great sprints, recoveries, defends with intensity, he’s an attacking player with talent and we need his goals and assists. He’s a top player and deserves it, he’s an excellent guy,” said the coach after the win against Famalicão in the Portuguese Cup, where the winger found the net again. Meanwhile, he has been making his mark in the Italian coach’s system, establishing himself as a key piece in the team’s balance. It’s no surprise, then, that he has started in 21 of the 23 matches he’s played.

Rehabilitation

Farioli was decisive in rehabilitating Pepê’s image, which had been severely affected following the departure of Vítor Bruno from the coaching staff. The player admitted to having faced personal problems that impacted his career, but he overcame them and regained the joy of playing.

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