Farioli: “Worried about my ego? It’s the wins that scare me more” | OneFootball

Francesco Farioli stated that FC Porto “deserved more” from the clash with Nottingham Forest (2-0), regarding the 3rd round of the Europa League group stage.

Do you consider the result unfair? “I don’t know if ‘unfair’ is the right word, but we deserved more from the game for how we played, with our level and competitive intensity. We had to impose ourselves against a top team, with very good individuals. Now we move forward.”

Was the team lacking intensity in the first half? “I don’t think so, we competed against a very physical team, with players worth more than 60 or 70 million, we pressed, we fought man to man throughout the game. When it was time to drop back, we played with confidence on the ball, we were patient in attack and didn’t concede a single counter-attack against teams that have real speedsters up front. I’m satisfied with the team’s performance, not with the result. We deserved a bit more. We close the Europa League book and open the league one, against a team that started the season very well.”

Samu worked hard, but didn’t have a clear chance. “He did a good job for the team, managed to press, was good on the ball, combining with his teammates. He wasn’t as precise with the final pass, we had some difficulties with two great center-backs on the other side. He created some danger and is always a threat. I’m satisfied with his performance and attitude.”

Lino Godinho was sent off. Were there confrontations between the coaching staffs? “My assistant was inviting FC Porto’s players to play, because Nottingham’s players were offside. It’s better not to talk about it, I didn’t understand because he wasn’t even outside the technical area.”

You praised the defensive solidity. Was there room for an even better performance tonight? “I think we did well offensively, we had actions that showed a lot of quality, I think we managed both phases well, so from my side, the result isn’t the best, we wanted to give more to our fans, but with the right mentality we had, the game was within our reach. Of course there are things to improve, but we gained in some aspects. There’s nothing else to do but turn the page and focus on the next game.”

Are you afraid this defeat will affect the group’s ego and mentality? “I’m more afraid of victories. In football we win and lose, we have to accept that. We did everything we could and we have no regrets. So now we have to impose ourselves as a team and work for Monday. We’ll start preparing for the game and analyzing the next opponent, train, and I hope that way we can get back to working for the Primeira Liga.”

Since Porto still hasn’t beaten an English side, was this a ‘good moment’ to lose for the first time? “No, it’s never a good moment. We worked hard to keep getting positive results, but now it’s time to turn the page and move forward.”

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