FC Porto players might underestimate us, but Farioli won’t | OneFootball

Ron Jans, coach of Utrecht, admitted that Francesco Farioli's knowledge of Dutch football could represent a disadvantage for his team ahead of the fourth round of the Europa League group stage.

The coach recalled Farioli's time at Ajax in 2024/25, arguing that this ensures the Dragons will approach the match seriously, despite Utrecht still having no points in the European competition.

“It will be a disadvantage for us. If FC Porto’s players look at our position in the table, they might underestimate us, but Farioli will make sure they change their minds. Even though the playing style isn’t the same as he had at Ajax, I see some similarities,” the coach analyzed in his preview of Utrecht-FC Porto.

Ron Jans even confessed to having difficulties pointing out weaknesses in the opponent: “When I was analyzing footage of FC Porto, I was looking for an example of a goal they had conceded, but I realized they hardly concede any. Only from corners, penalties, and own goals,” he noted.

In the last encounter between Francesco Farioli and Ron Jans, the Utrecht coach beat Ajax 4-0.

“I had very good conversations with Farioli in the past about matches. He was a very positive loser [after the thrashing], an interesting man who has shown himself to be a motivator and an inspiration for what he did at Ajax and what he is now doing at FC Porto,” he praised.

FC Porto departed this afternoon for the Netherlands. The pre-match press conference will take place at Galgenwaard Stadium at 19:00 (Portuguese time) and will feature coach Francesco Farioli and player Borja Sainz.

On Thursday, at the same stadium, FC Porto – 15th in the group with six points – will face Utrecht – 35th, still without points – starting at 17:45, with Scottish referee John Beaton officiating.

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