“There’s a new story to tell and we’re motivated” | OneFootball

FC Porto’s Under-19 team began pre-season training this Monday at the CTFD Jorge Costa. José João did not hide his satisfaction at being back and is approaching the new challenge with enthusiasm as he leads a team increasingly close to professional football. “Our main goal is to keep placing more and more players in the B team and the first team,” explains the coach, who stresses the need for the players to always work at their maximum.

“Pre-season is very important, and it is even more important to know, from the very first day, what identity we are going to create as a team and what our principles for the season will be,” says the coach, for whom “the achievements of the past will have no impact on the present,” since “there is a new story to tell” in 2026/27.

Excitement about returning“It feels very good. Even though the holidays are short, we always feel a great eagerness to get back on the pitch with the players. We are ambitious. This season we will have a different challenge, but an interesting one, taking into account the aspirations for this team. That is why we are very excited and happy to be back.”

The challenge of leading the Under-19s“It is a good challenge. It is a team that is already very close to the context of professional football, and our main goal is to keep placing more and more players in the B team and the first team. We want our players to be ready for the challenge and the demands of coach João Brandão and coach Francesco Farioli. That is why our players always have to be at the limit and always give their maximum, because the passion and intensity with which this Club is lived must always be at the limit. We have to instill that in our players every day. More important than thinking about titles is thinking about how we can place our players in professional football.”

A greater responsibility“It is an interesting challenge for me, because we are getting closer and closer to professionalism, and that also increases our responsibility every day. I feel good with that, with that professionalism, with that daily pressure and with that passion. We spend more time in our home base, which is very important, and we are surrounded by FC Porto’s DNA.”

The transition from Under-17s to Under-19s“The Under-19 championship is different from the Under-17 championship, because there is greater investment in the teams. Anyone who wants to be at this Club and at this level has to know how to live with this constant adrenaline.”

The challenges of preparation“Pre-season is very important, and it is even more important to know, from the first day, what identity we are going to create as a team and what our principles for the season will be. We are extremely hungry to improve ourselves and to push beyond our limits every day. What we did in the past will have no impact on the present. There is a new story to tell, we have new things to do, and we are very motivated, with passion and intensity very much alive and with our blood boiling to achieve a season full of quality.”

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