Farioli questions bookings: “Strange when 3-0 up at half-time” | OneFootball

Shortly after FC Porto's comfortable victory over Casa Pia (4-0) at the Estádio do Dragão on Sunday, Francesco Farioli attended the press conference to review the third round of the I Liga, where he was questioned about the refereeing and the upcoming classic against Sporting, scheduled for Saturday.

"I had already said yesterday that I would like to avoid talking about the referees, but the truth is that I was a bit worried about the dynamics, especially when it affects the decisions I have to make for the game. I just think that if we keep this pace of cards, by the fifth or sixth round we'll already have someone suspended. I don't think that's what we deserve," he said, after explaining the substitutions of yellow-carded players.

"Classic? I was thinking about finishing the game with eleven players. It's strange to have players with yellow cards when I have a 3-0 lead at halftime. So, I have to act to protect the players because some fouls can lead to something more," said the Italian coach in the flash interview, momentarily shifting the focus away from the game at Alvalade.

Furthermore, Francesco Farioli has already turned his attention to the most media-covered match of the fourth round of the I Liga, acknowledging that despite the promising start, there are aspects to improve in his team.

"We have six days to prepare for the game at Sporting's home, the reigning champion. For us, it will be a good test to see where we are and, of course, to continue growing. The Classics are always special, but the approach has to be the same. The emblem on the jerseys doesn't change the attitude we have to have. We respect everyone. We want to be at our best," he emphasized.

"We intend to stay in the game for longer. In the second half, I think we lost a bit of structure and then a kind of domino effect appeared. There are definitely things to improve. The way we play is demanding from a physical and mental point of view. There are many decisions to make. The players are very exposed to duels and contacts, so we have to make decisions under pressure. Overall, I'm very pleased with the team and what the players are doing, on game day, but especially during the week," he added.

"I always put the team above everything and every player. I'm tolerant of technical mistakes, but my red line is reached very quickly with a lack of spirit and mentality with what we do on the field. I demand a lot from the players, however, sometimes one or two players below their maximum can make everything collapse. Nevertheless, so far, I'm really happy to see everyone around me going to the limit. That's what we need to keep doing," he concluded.

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