“Rodrigo Mora? Only one player has ever asked to come off…” | OneFootball

FC Porto get their league campaign underway this Sunday, beginning the defence of their title against Alverca.

The match takes place with almost a month still to go before the transfer window closes. Francesco Farioli acknowledges that the situation can distract the players, but assures that the club is prepared for every scenario.

“The market is always a big puzzle, with many pieces moving around. It’s a mix between a puzzle and a game of chess, where we have to be very alert to possible moves. We have to adjust if someone leaves, or anticipate someone’s departure by bringing in another player,” he began.

“I believe that 90 or 95 per cent of the players want to stay here, but of course others will want to leave in order to develop and get more playing time. We’ll see what happens over the next few days, and we’re working with a clear focus and the desire to maintain our level of ambition and competitiveness in the league and in the Champions League,” he added.

The coach was also asked about Rodrigo Mora’s situation. Last season, he was close to leaving the club at the end of the window, then did not get the playing time he wanted, and continues to be tracked by several clubs, including Galatasaray.

“I’m being very honest: there has only been one player who came to speak to me directly about the possibility of leaving. And there is another one I know wants to leave. But neither of them is Mora. I’m not going to talk about scenarios because there is already enough noise around the market, and it can be a distraction. But everyone is aligned, even the one who came to ask me to leave, and that is what allows me to sleep very well,” he revealed.

On the transfer window, Farioli concluded: “The ideal world does not exist, but the players we have had a great pre-season, we are ready for the start of the season and to show on the pitch the level the fans demand,” he summed up, again referring to the market.

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