FC Porto host Nice in a special clash for Farioli and Pablo Rosario | OneFootball

Right after the match against Sintrense, FC Porto began to focus exclusively on the Europa League, in a game that will have special meaning for Francesco Farioli, who returns to face Nice, the club he successfully managed in 2023/24 and led back to European competitions. The knowledge the Italian coach has of much of the squad could prove to be an advantage for Thursday’s game, in which the Dragons are looking to get back to winning ways in the competition, after the defeat in Nottingham and the draw in Utrecht.

“We have to improve in the Europa League, our goal difference is negative. We have to do better. Of course, we’re facing more physical opponents and we know it’s going to be a challenging game. We have to be prepared,” Farioli said after the win in the Portuguese Cup. On the other side, as we mentioned, will be a team with few or no secrets for the Italian and that is going through a very difficult moment. Not only this season – four consecutive defeats – but especially in European competitions, where they are on a negative run of 16 games in a row without a win, collecting only three draws, none in the current edition. “We’re going to play against a really good team, with a lot of individual talent, in every position. We have to be ready, because it’s very important for our Europa League campaign to get a good result,” he stated.

Farioli took charge of Nice in June 2023 and left the club in May 2024, a period that ended with a 5th place finish in the French championship (just outside the Champions League), a result based mainly on strong defensive organization. “We gave him a goal: to bring the club back to Europe and that was achieved. He is a great professional and a person of great values.” This was how Jean-Pierre Rivère, then president of Nice, said farewell to Farioli, who then moved to Ajax, where he once again strengthened defensive solidity. The title in the Netherlands ultimately slipped away, but, as in France, Farioli left good memories. On Thursday, the match will therefore have a special character, but the aim remains the same: to win and take a decisive step towards qualification.

Pablo Rosario was one of the pillars

Pablo Rosario is among the four players who have represented both clubs. The midfielder, a signing requested directly by Farioli, worked with the coach at Nice and was the fifth most used player under his management. The Dominican international played 149 matches for the southern French side before transferring to the Dragons – almost three times as many games as Ricardo Pereira played at Nice, where he spent two seasons on loan from FC Porto. The connection is completed by Malang Sarr, a centre-back developed at the French club who also played for the Dragons on loan from Chelsea, and the Brazilian Carlos Eduardo.

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