Francesco Farioli: “They can’t know Mora’s rank, they’ve not spoken to me” | OneFootball

Francesco Farioli answered questions about Rodrigo Mora after FC Porto’s 2-0 win over Rio Ave on matchday two of the Primeira Liga. The Italian coach rejected the idea of a fixed hierarchy, defended the need to make decisions, and put the collective above any individual expectations. In the end, he assured: “there is nothing bigger than FC Porto.”

In the press room, Francesco Farioli faced one of the issues that usually stirs debate in squad management: Rodrigo Mora’s absence from the match. The FC Porto coach’s message was clear, balancing discomfort with outside narratives and the conviction that making choices is part of the job.

Asked about the possibility of Mora being a “third option,” Farioli got straight to the point. The coach refused to endorse an interpretation made from afar and warned about the impact that kind of talk can have on players.

“Sometimes people like to build a narrative to generate comments. Whoever says that doesn’t know whether Mora is the first, second or third choice, because they have never spoken to me,” he said. “This is something that, honestly, helps no one, because when someone close to you goes out to speak and takes a certain position, they are putting the people they should be looking after in a light that is not the right one. I make decisions, I am here to choose eleven players to start and some others to come on.”

More than responding to a label, Farioli underlined the line between outside noise and the responsibility of the one making the decisions. In his view, each matchday selection is an unavoidable part of managing the group.

The coach then explained that the competition between Gabri and Mora in the same position does not diminish the importance of either one. On the contrary, he presented it as an advantage, even if it forces choices that do not always match individual expectations.

“When you have players like Gabri and Mora in the same position, it is a privilege, but you have to make decisions. There is not much difference between one and the other. Last season, Rodrigo played almost 2,000 minutes and Gabri 2,400,” he said. “Then, of course, everyone can have certain expectations, but what we do with them we also do with others. Everyone accepted it and, if they do not accept it, in any case it is my decision. I am paid to make them and manage the squad. The group is the priority because I truly believe, more and more every day, that there is nothing bigger than FC Porto.”

Farioli thus conveyed a sense of authority without dismissing the value of the alternatives. Between Mora and Gabri, the coach sees quality and competition; above that contest, he places the logic of a squad that, for him, must prevail over any individual case.

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