Gabri Veiga: “We’re hungry for victory and have a whole city behind us” | OneFootball

Gabri Veiga arrived at the blue and white less than six months ago, but he has already realized that “at FC Porto the goal is to win every game in every competition and against every opponent.” In statements to the biggest sports newspaper in his home country, the Spanish midfielder assures that in Portugal “the level is very high, the league is very competitive,” that “people really feel the rivalry,” and that “the demands are enormous”: “There are many objectives, a great desire to win, and an entire city behind us.”

The player who wears the number 10 shirt describes “a very big Club,” to which “the fans travel in great numbers,” and highlights the ambition to “continue on this path, to grow and improve in order to achieve great things” and, eventually, join the winning European national team. “Of course it’s a dream. I know I have to keep working hard and I am very demanding, I know what I can give and what I have to give,” Gabri Veiga confided in his conversation with Marca.

A European colossus“From the moment we walk in here, we realize the greatness of FC Porto, the expectations and the pressure, because we are at a very high level, in a very competitive league and also in Europe. There are many objectives, a great desire to win, an entire city behind us, and the truth is that it’s a very big Club, but we all already knew that.”

Would you recommend visiting Porto and Lisbon?“I don’t recommend Lisbon, I only like Porto. From Porto downwards is like from Vigo upwards, it’s only worth it from Pontevedra to Santiago.”

National rivals“Our games have been close by, because in Portugal football is more centralized and, apart from the trips to Lisbon, we always play in very nearby cities, like Guimarães, Barcelos, Braga… it’s all very close, almost like derbies, and it’s something very special, because people really feel the rivalry, the fans travel in large numbers and help us a lot. It’s all very local, very competitive, and I really like it.”

Career path: Spain, Saudi Arabia, and return to Portugal“I don’t regret it, because at that moment it was the best decision for me and everyone knows themselves best. I’m sure it was the best for me, maybe it wasn’t what people expected, but now everyone agrees with me. I never wanted to be right, I just went after what was best for me. Now I’m at a club like FC Porto, with huge demands, and I want to keep growing as a player. I also did that in Arabia, obviously, although other factors weighed in on the decision, but in the end, I had an opportunity to return to Europe. I never doubted it was possible and that’s why I decided to go to Arabia before signing for a very big Club.”

Aiming for the national team?“Yes, but I always answer that question the same way: everyone has to work for themselves. Right now the Spanish national team has the best midfield in the world, maybe alongside the Portuguese, which is also at a very high level. It has players from great clubs and I still have many steps to take to get there, but of course it’s a dream. I know I have to keep working hard and I am very demanding, I know what I can give and what I have to give.”

The 2026 World Cup“We are among the favorites. France, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, and Argentina are, for me, the favorites. We can also include England, they are the great football powers. Portugal has an incredible midfield, the goalkeeper, who is my teammate, is one of the best in the world, the defense has Nuno Mendes… it’s a very complete team and in the final stage of the World Cup anything can happen. It’s a short tournament, always exciting, and that’s why it’s so special. But let’s hope Spain wins the trophy, of course.”

Prioritize: the Portuguese League or the Europa League?“Both. Obviously, it’s always difficult to win titles, but at FC Porto the goal is to win every game. I’m on a big team, and the demand is to win in every competition and against every opponent. Here we always have to win. If our goal is to win every game, then our goal also has to be to win every title up for grabs. After a few years without winning the championship, which is a league full of rivalries, we are even more eager and we also want to make our mark at the European level. It would be something very important for the Club, but we’re still in November and this isn’t the time to talk about it. We want to continue on this path, to grow and improve so we can achieve great things.”

Facing Celta“Right now FC Porto is my club and I have to defend my club. I will always give my best for FC Porto.”

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