Prpic hails Farioli: “He’s a top manager with brilliant ideas” | OneFootball

Upon arriving in Portugal, Prpic states that he is fully convinced that signing for FC Porto was the best decision for his career. In an interview with the newspaper Sportske Novosti, while with the Croatian U21 national team, the young center-back said he feels he has joined “a top club” and praised Francesco Farioli.

“Every coach has their own methods. I spent some time with Gonzalo García, who has similar working principles to my current coach, Francesco Farioli. At FC Porto, there is more emphasis on the tactical component, and Mr. Farioli details the tactics down to the smallest detail. I already know that in this aspect I will improve a lot. He is a great coach, with brilliant ideas,” said Prpic, highlighting that, so far, his experience at Dragão has exceeded all expectations.

“FC Porto is a top club. Before signing, I already knew it was one of the biggest in Europe. Now I see that it is exactly as I imagined and expected—maybe it has even surpassed my best expectations. I have already played three games and I think I have adapted very well. When it comes to FC Porto, I can only say good things because everything is going perfectly,” said the young center-back, who was not intimidated by the competition in the team’s defensive line.

“Everyone knows that in big European clubs, competition is huge. That’s normal and even better for me. I’ve been used to that since I was young. Few people know, but when I arrived at Hajduk as a junior, I was the fourth center-back. I earned my place through my work and my performances. When I was in Hajduk’s first team, I was loaned out, and that fierce competition can only be an advantage for me. It forces me to be better, to train and work harder. It can only help me. I believe that, with time, I will earn my minutes. Calmly, because I’ve just arrived, but I just need to work and keep improving,” added the Croatian, who also had only praise for the Porto fans: “FC Porto fans are passionate. Before I arrived, I had already heard that they were the most fervent in Portugal, and I quickly confirmed that. Against Sporting, it was phenomenal. We always have a lot of fans supporting us, and when we play at home, the stadium has always been full. When I arrived, I received lots of messages of support, and since I was an unknown youngster, I thought I would just be another one for them. But, seeing so many messages, I really felt very good.”

While playing for the Croatian U21 national team, Prpic admits that his ambition is to reach his country’s senior team. “Of course, that’s my dream. When you start playing football, you dream of representing your national team. You look at Modric, Perišić, Rakitic… they are players who made history. I think coach Zlatko Dalic is doing an excellent job and knows the players well. It’s up to me to work and give my best. If I give everything, I believe the call-up will come. But right now, I’m focused only on the U21 national team,” he revealed.

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