How a Lake Como coffee forged a bond between Farioli and Villas-Boas | OneFootball

Francesco Farioli explained a light-hearted exchange of words with André Villas-Boas during the champions’ dinner. “You created a problem, I told him. When the time comes to leave here – I used to go around with a big coaching staff – I’ll have to ask to take the president with me as well [laughs],” said the FC Porto coach, smiling. “I love where I am,” he stressed, highlighting a connection, “above all a human one,” which began at Lake Como, where coach and president crossed paths for the first time. “When he started talking, I said, ‘Hmm, this doesn’t seem like just a coffee between two coaches. I believe something is going on.’ I started to change my mindset. A few minutes later, I was hoping that conversation would lead to the possibility of us working together,” Farioli said, speaking about a president who is “truly present.”

“When we play three matches a week, on every eve of a match, he is there. And the other people who are closest to me, Tiago Madureira and Henrique Monteiro, are always there. It is something I always demand at any club where I work, and here I didn’t even need to ask,” said the coach, who exactly a year ago had “offers from second-division clubs and from clubs that were going to fight against relegation in Serie A.” “I feel drawn to the challenge of stepping into situations that are losing direction. I was looking for a club where I could have people with the same level of motivation,” Farioli concluded.

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