João Henriques on Bednarek: “When the groups are strong…” | OneFootball

FC Porto as champions: “FC Porto are not a relaxed team; that is not in their DNA, and that is what they have shown throughout the season. Even though they already have the title in their hands, they still have goals to achieve. Just like us, as we continue to chase those micro-goals. In the same way that we grew after relegation, FC Porto will maintain their competitive levels and come here to win and reinforce what is already a certainty: a title in their hands with extraordinary numbers. FC Porto will try to impose their game and we will do our part; we have to be competitive and strong in the duels. The opponent dominates many indicators, but the team knows what it has to do. After that, it’s football, and any result can happen.”

Surprising FC Porto: “I always believe because I’m an optimist, and this game is no exception. It is an opponent we have to respect, but in my career I have already faced them eleven times, lost nine, drawn one and won once. Is it impossible? No. FC Porto are in a different moment from the one Sporting were in when we faced them, as they were coming off a difficult run, but now it is different. The opponent is of the same calibre, but in a different moment, euphoric, with maximum confidence because things have gone well, without the pressure of points but only of internal goals. But regardless of who plays for FC Porto, I am absolutely certain it will be a very strong eleven, because at the moment I cannot identify a first-choice eleven, as they have players they can rotate without it being noticeable, and that is what they have done throughout the season between the league and the Europa League. It is difficult to identify a first-choice eleven because they can make changes without losing quality. I do not even look much at the team’s dynamics; I look at what FC Porto are in the attacking and defensive processes, in transitions and set pieces, where they are tremendously effective and strong. We have to be at our very best, have a day where everything goes very well and have all the stars align to overcome an opponent who have only had two slip-ups away from home, one defeat and one draw.”

Impact of the robbery involving Bednarek: “Sometimes it can even leave a mark in positive ways, making people come together even more around a teammate. In difficult moments, when groups are strong, as this one appears to be, it makes them rally around Bednarek and bring that aura onto the pitch. And I believe that, regardless of the episode, which is unpleasant and regrettable, FC Porto will be fully prepared and up to the demands of the game.”

Dignity until the end: “We are going to play with respect for the competition, for the people who have supported us from the start, for the town, for the fans and for the club, and for that we have to maintain the highest levels of competitiveness, because we have the responsibility to continue the good run we have managed to build. There are two difficult matches left, and we want to keep picking up points, doing what we set out to do from the beginning, but more emphatically after relegation because we have to be worthy of this league and finish the season showing that the first half was merely an accident; otherwise we would be talking about something else. If we look back at the last five, ten or fifteen matches, what we have done would have been enough for survival in a comfortable position.”

Squad value increasing: “We have players we can continue to develop. Despite a poor collective season, there is a lot of individual quality and those assets are important for the club, with the team now helping to increase their value. We have several players who, with these recent matches and this good run of games, can be important assets in the transition from one season to the next and provide a good financial return, which is also one of our jobs. We passed two targets and then two more: reaching the twenty-point mark and extending our scoring run to five consecutive matches. We want to finish in this way, even knowing that FC Porto, the national champions with incredible numbers, are ahead of us.”

Players who have stood out: “I do not really like to single people out, but players such as Devenish, Roni, Tunde and Pedro Lima have stood out. But Paulo Vitor and Rivas have also put in good performances. Roni is a player with different characteristics from the others, who came in and helped us a lot and has been talked about a great deal, just like Pedro Lima, who scored in three consecutive matchdays. Tunde has already matched numbers from previous seasons after a less visible period due to Ramadan. Gustavo Mendonça, who had not had many minutes, has grown a lot and will grow even more. Diego Duarte and Neiva have also improved. Our job is to provide the best conditions for the players to stand out.”

Future at Aves SAD: “Whether I stay at the club or not is not a taboo, it is a reality. I like to finish the work and then sit down with people to analyse everything and decide what is best for both sides. That is what will happen. We still have work to complete. We have already surpassed our points tally from the first half of the season, bettered the second half of last season, and we can still make this Aves SAD’s best ever second half in the Primeira Liga. We are in a positive phase, on a winning run, and I believe this atmosphere can be important for next season.”

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