Prpic: “Farioli is a top manager, his tactical ideas are fantastic” | OneFootball

Dominik Prpic is currently serving with Croatia’s under-21 national team and took advantage of a break to comment on his first experiences at FC Porto.

In an interview with Sportske Novosti, the young center-back confessed that he was surprised by the “true greatness” of the blue and white club and gave a positive assessment of his arrival at Dragão.

“It’s a top club. Before signing, I already knew that FC Porto was one of the biggest in Europe and now I know it’s exactly as I imagined and expected. Maybe even more… I’ve played in three matches, I’ve been adapting well. I can only say positive things about FC Porto, everything has been going wonderfully,” said Prpic, leaving strong words of praise for the Dragons’ coach.

“Every coach has their specific characteristics. I worked with Gonzalo García [former coach of Arouca, now at Hajduk Split] for a while and he has work principles similar to my current coach, Francesco Farioli. At FC Porto, there’s more insistence on the tactical side and on certain moments of the game. Farioli works out the tactics in detail. I already know I’m going to progress a lot in that aspect. He’s a great coach, with fantastic tactical ideas,” praised the 21-year-old defender, who is preparing for the match against Turkey’s under-21s, part of the qualification for the European Championship in this category.

In terms of the football played, Prpic already pointed out a step up in level. “There’s a huge difference compared to Croatian football. In Portugal, the game is faster, the players are better, and there’s greater competitiveness. But the Croatian league is also growing year by year,” emphasized the Porto player, impressed by the passion of the blue and white fans.

“The fans are… amazing! Before I went to Porto, I heard stories about the fans being the most passionate and the best in Portugal. I realized that immediately. When we played against Sporting, it was incredible. They follow us in great numbers everywhere and our stadium is always full. The best word to describe them is fantastic. When I arrived, I received many messages of support and congratulations. They probably didn’t know me, but I felt really good with all the messages,” he highlighted, gratefully.

Although he is not yet a starter in FC Porto’s defense, Prpic has been winning over the fans with his attitude and his performances on the pitch. He faces internal competition naturally and sees it as something clearly positive.

“We already know how things work at big European clubs. It’s normal and, for me, even better. Many people don’t know, but I was once the fourth center-back in the hierarchy among Hajduk’s juniors,” he reveals. “With the matches I played and the work I put in, I fought to get to where I am now. I was loaned out after reaching the first team. So, this high level of competitiveness is a big advantage for me. It makes me better, makes me train better and harder. I feel that, at a certain point, I’ll be ready to fight for more minutes. I’m taking it easy, I’ve just arrived, and I just have to work and see how I can improve,” concludes Dominik Prpic.

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