Mora on Porto’s back-to-back and hard farewells: “Needed a new challenge” | OneFootball

While with the Portugal Under-21 national team for three European Championship qualifiers, Rodrigo Mora spoke about the ambitions of Luís Freire’s side and his move from FC Porto to Roma. Between the desire to secure qualification, adapting to Italian football and an emotional farewell, he also expressed his hope for Porto to win back-to-back titles. About the decision to leave, he said: “Without a doubt, I knew I needed a new challenge in my life.”

Speaking to Canal 11, Rodrigo Mora looked back on a move that ended a ten-year connection with FC Porto and took him into a different culture. The player did not hide how hard the farewell was, but described the transfer as the necessary step to keep growing. In the meantime, his present is split between establishing himself at Roma and the immediate goals of the Under-21s.

In Luís Freire’s squad, Mora found a group determined to wrap up qualification right away. The target is clear and includes an ambition Portugal has still not achieved at this level.

“It’s a great team. We want to secure qualification in these three games,” he said. “Portugal have never won an Under-21 European Championship and we really want to.”

The message goes beyond confidence in the team’s quality. There is competitive urgency and a desire to turn the next three matches into a decisive step towards the Euros.

The move to Roma forced him to leave the city where he had lived for 19 years and step into a new environment. Mora acknowledged the cultural difference, but said he was happy with the choice and excited by the atmosphere he found.

“I spent 19 years living in Porto, 10 years playing for FC Porto. I went to a different culture, but I’m happy and I think it will be a good change for me,” he explained. “The weight of playing at the Stadio Olimpico? It’s a special atmosphere and it really makes you want to score.”

His adaptation has also been helped by a special presence in the dressing room: Dybala, a player Mora watched as a child and now has alongside him in training and matches.

“I watched him when I was a kid and now being able to train and play alongside him… It’s really good to see him, and he’s a very humble person who has helped me a lot in these early days. I’m grateful to play alongside him.”

The initial fascination does not erase the demands of the move, but it does make it feel more natural. In Mora’s words, his admiration for Dybala has gone from afar to a close relationship marked by humility and support.

If the present is in Rome, FC Porto still holds a central place in the player’s words. The farewell was difficult after a decade in blue and white, and the idea of home remains intact.

“Goodbyes are never easy. It was hard for me because it was such a long time… it was my home and I think it will always be my home,” he admitted. “It was difficult, but I know every cycle comes to an end and can reopen later on. The most important thing is that I leave with a full heart, I leave as a champion, and I think that’s what matters most. I’ll always be one more Porto supporter cheering from Italy, I know things are going well, may it continue that way, and here’s to back-to-back titles.”

The departure, however, was not presented as a rupture. Mora framed it as the end of a cycle that may reopen in the future and as a decision made in search of a new competitive challenge.

“Without a doubt, I knew I needed a new challenge in my life. I’m very grateful for all these years, but it was what I wanted, and a new challenge in a league as competitive as the Italian one, I believe, will be good for me.”

It is a farewell with a full heart, with the title won and the emotional bond preserved. From afar, Mora sees himself as just another Porto supporter and leaves a clear wish: that FC Porto stay on course and win back-to-back titles.

At Roma, the focus is on the present and on building a consistent season. His Champions League debut was an important step, but the player wants to add trophies and minutes to this new chapter of his career.

“In football, everything changes very quickly and, right now, I just want to have a good season at Roma. I made my Champions League debut, it was an important step for me, I had never played in it before, and I hope to win titles at Roma and play as much as possible.”

On the possibility of winning a title in his very first year, Mora refused to get carried away. The good spell does not erase the unpredictability of a league he describes as highly competitive.

“We’re in a good moment, but [Serie A] is a very competitive league,” he said. “Things can change very quickly and we always have to stay focused. We’re on the right path.”

His words combine ambition and caution: there is confidence in the journey, but also awareness that everything can change quickly. That is why the immediate goal is to stay focused and establish his place at Roma.

The senior national team remains another of his biggest dreams. After two call-ups and one appearance affected by injury, Mora prefers to move forward without shortcuts.

“It’s everyone’s dream. I’ve been called up twice and I went there once – I had been injured. We all have that dream, but step by step, I have to keep working and the day will come.”

The ambition is clear, but it has not turned into anxiety. Mora leaves the future to his daily work and keeps the same line that runs through his entire message: to grow step by step, without losing sight of the big goals.

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