Farioli’s right-hand man on the bench: Eustáquio shows true Dragon spirit | OneFootball

Stephen Eustáquio is going through the most complicated period in terms of playing time since his arrival at FC Porto. This is a scenario that the midfielder, in a way, had already anticipated and even acknowledged recently, but it does not prevent the Canadian international from having a relevant role in the locker room and on the bench. “Eustáquio was like my assistant, talking and supporting... It’s hard to describe my gratitude for having these players, also for those who play a little less, for the way they behave and help the team grow and get better every day,” emphasized Francesco Farioli, after the match against Braga.

In September, the midfielder admitted that “the FC Porto transfer market made me lower my personal expectations and raise those of the team,” acknowledging the need to “rewind the tape.” “When I came here, I played two, five, or ten minutes, with Sérgio Conceição, and I gave my all,” he recalled. And, in fact, only that period, in the second half of 2021/22, comes close to the current moment. Eustáquio has only accumulated 258 minutes spread over seven games, with just one start and, on that occasion, he was also unlucky.

Against Red Star he played the full 90 minutes, still somewhat affected by the virus that had kept him out of the squad list for the Arouca match days earlier. The midfielder started the season well, being one of the first to come off the bench up until the third matchday, but the arrival of Pablo Rosario reduced his opportunities. This is a very different situation from previous seasons, in which he never played fewer than 40 matches and, twice, came close to 3,000 minutes.

As one of the most senior members of the squad, alongside Diogo Costa, Cláudio Ramos, and Zaidu, the number 6 has taken on leadership responsibilities and supports the younger players, showing a commitment in training that is highly valued by Farioli. The midfielder strives to turn that work into more minutes, especially since it is a World Cup year and he is one of those responsible for organizing the game. The status he holds in the national team does not put his presence at risk, but playing time remains a challenge.

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