FC Porto start basketball pre-season at Dragão Arena | OneFootball

After undergoing the usual medical exams and fitness tests, FC Porto’s basketball team got pre-season under way, once again under the guidance of Fernando Sá. Tanner Omlid was one of the nine national champions present at the first training session of 2026/27, at Dragão Arena, and he did not hide his satisfaction at being back: “it’s really good to have the team back”. After a season that “was a rollercoaster” and ended “on top”, the goal now is to “stay together” and “improve as much as we can” over the “next six/seven weeks”, before the Super Cup against Sporting at the end of September. The North American is also already missing the fans’ support: “I’m really excited to see the stands full again”.

Back to work “It’s really good to have the team back. I missed them. It was a long season and it was a long break because I was recovering my knee, so I was here all summer. Now it’s good to see new faces coming in.”

The national title in 2025/26 “Last season was a rollercoaster and we finished on top. Now it’s a new season and a new chapter, it doesn’t matter what we did last season. Now we have to show up for the new season, which is going to be very long. There will be ups and downs, but the most important thing is to stay together.”

The changes to the squad and the group’s continuity “I think we did a good job of bringing back solid talent and solid people overall. The new players who have come in look fantastic on paper and after getting to know them they’re even more fantastic. I have no complaints at all and I’m really excited to work with them. We’ve got around a month and a half before the Super Cup, so we have to improve as much as we can over the next six/seven weeks.”

Focus on the daily work “It’s a marathon, not a sprint. We can go in as hard as we can and that can end up being more harmful than beneficial. It’s more about being smart and understanding what each person brings to the team and how to incorporate that in a way that makes us successful. It’s a long season, I’m not stressed about it. It’s more about keeping the team focused on the same goal and on the same track. Nobody is going to stop us and we’re all always moving forward.”

Reuniting with the Porto fans “Pre-season is our opportunity to show our fans that we are winners. Having them back in the arena is a goal and I hope they show up. It’s a lot more fun when our fans are here. I’m really excited to see the stands full again.”

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