Francisco Conceição thanks Pinto da Costa: “He brought me back…” | OneFootball

Francisco Conceição, the Portuguese international who plays for Juventus, spoke to Sport TV about significant moments in his career, the influence of his family, and the decisions that led him to return to FC Porto.

Regarding his first goal for FC Porto’s main team, he highlighted his family’s presence: “With my whole family watching… I think family is what gives me the hunger to win in life every day, to prove every day that I have the ability, because my goal is to make my family proud. That moment was very beautiful, my first goal for FC Porto’s main team with my whole family watching, I don’t think there’s anything more beautiful than that. Everything we went through, all the sacrifices I made, were worth it with the help of my father, my mother, and my siblings.”

He also recalled winning the championship alongside his father, Sérgio Conceição, as coach: “It was truly a dream come true, because if my first goal was to reach the main team, not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would win the championship with him as coach. It was very real, I think it was a unique moment and a dream fulfilled. I thank God every day for that title, which will always remain in my heart.”

He admitted that his time at Ajax did not meet expectations, which motivated his return to FC Porto: “I won’t lie, I went to Ajax with high expectations, unfortunately things didn’t go as well as I’d hoped, I didn’t get as many minutes as I wanted and I wanted to leave after the first year. I had several offers from foreign clubs, but I thought it was important to return to FC Porto, because it’s a home I knew and didn’t need to adapt to. It was the right step.”

Regarding the role of Pinto da Costa in his career, he emphasized the president’s trust: “President Pinto da Costa has an unbelievable importance in my career. He was the one who brought me back after Ajax, he was the one who trusted me a lot, just like my father. They knew that, sooner or later, I would prove my worth and I am eternally grateful to him. He is a remarkable, legendary figure of our club, who will never be forgotten.”

Finally, he considered that this season has been the best of his career so far and that the experience abroad prepared him better to fulfill his potential: “Yes, that really shows the impact they had on my return, I felt very motivated to help the club. I came back even more prepared than in my first spell, because I had already experienced some things abroad that I wasn’t used to and that gave me some ‘baggage’. That helped me and I was able to really express my potential.”

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