Porto, Farioli: “Overlooked after Ajax”, record start, Serie A regrets | OneFootball

Francesco Farioli is experiencing a golden moment on the Porto bench. Just a few months after the dramatic finale with Ajax—when he lost the Eredivisie on the last matchday due to a sensational blackout in Groningen—the Tuscan coach has turned things around and today leads the Dragons on a record streak: 7 wins in 7 official matches, no goals conceded (except for an own goal), and numbers that bring to mind the André Villas-Boas era.

Porto, Farioli: “Me, ignored after Ajax.” Record-breaking start and regrets in Serie A

Farioli is only the second coach in Porto’s history to win the first seven games of the season. Before him, it was Villas-Boas himself, now the club’s president, who in 2010/2011 reached 11 consecutive victories.

The most impressive statistic, however, concerns the defensive phase:

In Portugal, Farioli’s Porto has conceded only one own goal (Perez against Sporting Lisbon),

and among the top 5 European leagues, no coach has allowed so little to their opponents.

This is no coincidence: at Nice (2022/23), his team had the best defense in Ligue 1, and at Ajax (2023/24) he repeated the feat in the Eredivisie with the least-beaten backline.

From collapse to redemption

Just a few months ago, the story seemed very different. “The phone wouldn’t stop ringing, there was interest from the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, even from Saudi Arabia,” Farioli recounted. “Then the collapse with Ajax made my name disappear from everyone’s lists.”

After his resignation, the offers that came in were marginal, mostly from mid-table clubs. The choice to join Porto radically changed the course of his career.

Serie A, regret around the corner

Farioli’s immediate success risks becoming a regret for several Italian clubs. In the summer, Lazio and Fiorentina chose to go with familiar solutions, passing up on a young and ambitious profile like the Tuscan coach. For now, the results are not rewarding their choices.

And it’s not just about Serie A. Even abroad, some clubs might have regrets:

Bayer Leverkusen went with Ten Hag, who was sacked after just two matches,

Nottingham Forest confirmed Nuno Espírito Santo (later replaced by Postecoglou),

Real Sociedad bet on the young Sergio Francisco after the Alguacil era ended, with uncertain results.

Meanwhile, Porto is flying high, and Farioli is collecting records that could soon convince a European giant to come knocking at his door.

Next goal: surpass Villas-Boas

The winning streak could continue as early as Monday night in the late game against Arouca. For Farioli, the chance to definitively enter Porto’s history is real.

If he maintains these standards, Italy risks regretting for a long time the decision not to bet on him during the last summer of hot coaching seats.

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