Farioli: “Today I’m less certain, 15 years ago I was very arrogant” | OneFootball

As a coach, you project the image of someone very methodical and focused on winning games. Do you see football as an aesthetic connection to the world? Do you structure it with beauty and the spectator’s enjoyment in mind, or does that beauty simply emerge as a consequence of the game itself? “We approach football through the beauty of the game. Even in a very boring match, we can find a moment of beauty. And beauty does not mean that for 90 minutes everything has to be brilliant. The way we approach things is, certainly, by being very organized, having an identity, and the ability to deal with the demands of the game. Recently I used a metaphor: the role of a coach and the coaching staff nowadays is to build a game model that is like a crossword puzzle, where our goal is to leave as few blank spaces on the map as possible. The more we are able to integrate everything and connect different phases of the game, the closer we are to being successful. Sometimes, under fire from some journalists, there are comments that the game was not great. I like to say that, in what we do, if we change just one letter, the entire ‘crossword puzzle’ changes completely. Any adaptation has to be supported by adjusting everything else. That is how I try to get the message across to the players, so that we can build a shared interpretation, a shared understanding, and use the same ‘glasses’ to see the reality and the scenarios we face. Football is made up of human beings, of egos—and big egos, because personality is necessary. And here we return to a point from the thesis: the ability to self-limit. Being part of a football team is like being a citizen: we live under rules, we limit our freedom in order to have safety and interaction with others. In modern football, marked by individualism, this is the starting point and it is not an easy battle. I often have to remind players individually that, if they want to play an individual sport, there is a tennis court right next door. Team spirit, the desire to be part of a society—extending the football metaphor to life—is where everything begins. This part, for me, brings a lot of beauty, because personally, in order and in the ability to reduce the chaos and entropy of the world, that is where I feel the human impact. A few days ago we had a fantastic image of this here in Porto: until 3 in the morning the city was full of people celebrating, showing what it means to win for Porto. Less than 10 hours later, Aliados was back to reality, in order, peace, and calm. To celebrate, you have to suffer. To be a great student, you have to sweat over books. To be a championship team, you have to believe and put in the effort even when there is no guarantee of reward. And tell me this is not a comparison with what you do every day. How many of you are certain about your future? Where will you be in 10 years? Fifteen years ago I did not know either. All I can share is the illusion and the possibility. I hope you all receive the same reward I have received. I feel very lucky and grateful to the people who gave me an opportunity. The only thing you can do is be prepared. Do not underestimate any job interview, any moment, because one conversation can lead to another and another, and suddenly you find yourselves in the job of your dreams. Make sure you are ready, work hard, and stay alert to the opportunities that come up so you can seize them.”

You spoke about inviting players to be curious in the game. I would like to know whether you also encourage them to be curious about other things in life, about other goals, especially when you were a goalkeeping coach or working with younger teams… “If you ask me whether, in terms of communication, I am different from the coach who started 15 years ago, I would say that today I have fewer certainties. Back then I was very arrogant. I was 21 and was teaching a 35-year-old goalkeeper who played in Serie A; I acted as if I had the absolute truth. That was my way of surviving and creating a sense of clarity. Today, I try to pass on things that are not only about football; it is a daily battle. At a club like FC Porto, it is not hard to find motivation in the club’s history and what it represents. But I believe that talking only about football is not enough. It is a risky decision because sometimes we expose our fragilities and doubts. Being a leader is not about having everything clear; it is also about questioning yourself and questioning the quality of the information you pass on. I will give you an example: we had a period of tension in the group, and we live in a world of conflicts. I used a Carl Sagan video, ‘Pale Blue Dot.’ Astronomy, my first passion, became useful. Sagan says that astronomy is a lesson in humility. From the Voyager probe’s point of view, Earth is so small. And inside it are all the conflicts. It was an opportunity to restore balance and bring the players back to what is essential.”

Given that you won the league title, is there anything you are going to change in your leadership method? And is there any reference in the football world that resembles your philosophy? “As for changing my type of leadership, I do not have that plan, but rather to change the level of demand. Being satisfied and thinking that ‘now we are fine’ is the most dangerous enemy. When I arrived here 11 months ago, after a difficult season for the club, I looked at the players, left the meeting, and said to my staff: ‘we are empty.’ In the first few days it was about getting things moving again and starting our journey. A month from now, when we return, I want a group with the right spirit. They already know what the physical and mental demands will be like. I feel like the same person and I hope no one asks me to be different just because I have won an important trophy. We are at FC Porto and FC Porto is about really pushing, so I do not imagine anything different.”

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