“This club has a strong mystique, it drives us on and off the pitch” | OneFootball

The weight of winning the 31st national championship was clearly evident in the memorable celebration that, on May 16, dressed the Invicta in blue and white and brought hundreds of thousands of Porto fans out onto the streets. Francesco Farioli, one of the faces of this success, gave a major interview to Porto Canal, broadcast this Thursday from 9:30 p.m., in which he looked back on his first year on the blue-and-white bench.

In fact, the success began to take shape “in the first conversation with the president” and, from there, came the “work of several people at Olival, especially the players, who are the main ones responsible.” Arguing that “talent is secondary,” the Italian coach maintains that a winning team must be built on a “strong mentality and clear DNA,” as is the case at FC Porto.

For Francesco Farioli, the key was “the unity of the team and the spirit shown in all 53 matches,” always with the right energy to react “the way Jorge Costa would have wanted, as a group and as a team.” “That consistency brought us here and was the best way to represent this incredible football club and honor the memory of the eternal Captain,” said someone who, from day one, felt “a lot of passion and a great desire to do something special.”

The move to Invicta“Circumstances led me to meet the right people in the right place, and I think that was the key to this season and to the success we had. It all started in the first conversation with the president. We formed a connection very quickly. When he began to speak, to explain what FC Porto means to him, I started connecting several dots in my head, because I felt a lot of passion and a great desire to do something special. While he was speaking, I was hoping he would ask me whether I would like to be FC Porto’s coach. Fortunately, that happened, and the negotiation was very quick; everything was settled in a few days. There is always paperwork, as is normal, but it was a very energetic start, and that energy is what brought us here. It was not only thanks to us; it is also due to the work of several people at Olival, especially the players, who are the main ones responsible. All those small steps made it possible for us to win the title and, with the celebration still fresh in our minds, we are sure we will never forget it.”

The squad rebuild“Technical qualities are an extra, because talent is secondary. For a team to be successful it needs to have a strong mentality and a clear DNA. In this Club there is a strong mystique that is with us in every action, in every decision, in every step we take on and off the pitch. Then, players with certain qualities can make the difference, but to be truly competitive, and to have a chance of winning, there is no other secret. This is the key: the unity of the team and the spirit we had in all 53 matches we played.”

The importance of pre-season“The training camp in Austria was the main spark behind this energy, because the first week at Olival was difficult. I still remember the first training sessions… when I spoke with the players, I felt that we were not well. And I say we because from the moment I signed for this Club I inherited everything, namely the suffering from the previous season. We all started with the same pain, and that was what created bonds between us, what brought us together. The first days were more about clearing things out. People may think we start on a blank page, but it is never like that. You need to be able to turn the page, but when you do, there are still traces of the past. It was in Austria that we decided to start writing new stories on a page that was not perfect. Day after day, the writing became more fluid, and in the end we finished the book the way we wanted. A few days ago I read an interview with Rodrigo (Mora) talking about that camp as a moment of connection between the players and the coaching staff. Sometimes people may think the secret is choosing the right starting eleven, but maybe the secret was choosing the right song to introduce the coaching staff to the players.”

First impressions“I had already had several experiences in different countries and I have always been accompanied by a large coaching staff, because when time is short it is very important to make an impact in the first few days. That has to happen on the pitch, where the message is delivered, but also in the processes between the different departments and people. Having someone who is an extension of us in each area is a way to speed up certain processes, but it is never enough if, on the other side, the door is closed. Here we found an open door. The first member of staff I met was Lucho (González). The president really wanted him to return, and I accepted having a Club assistant coach on my staff. After the first conversation, during a video session, I immediately had a good feeling. After a week, we no longer knew who was who, who were the assistants brought by the coach and who were the Club’s assistants.”

Working at the Jorge Costa Training and Development Center“Here we are all FC Porto’s coaching staff. That has been the case from the beginning and will be so until the end. That cohesion is important to me, but it means nothing if it does not exist in every department, in every area, and among all the people who work at Olival. At Olival I met people who welcome us with a smile. From the team manager to the kit man, from the ladies in the kitchen to the people who take care of the grass, we see the way everyone treats the players and the way the players embrace them. That says a lot about what we created this season, and I feel very proud to be a small piece of this great puzzle made up of almost 100 people. All with different responsibilities, some more visible and others more in the shadows, but all have their role and all push us in the right direction. In difficult moments we found a way to come closer together and, coincidence or not, the season’s slogan was ‘We Move Forward Together.’ It was not only the Club’s slogan, it was also the team’s slogan every day.”

The matches against FC Twente and Atlético de Madrid“Those were the first matches at our home and they created some expectation among the fans. On returning from the Club World Cup, we saw everyone’s sadness and suffering after a season that had not gone well and, in less than a month, the team rediscovered a strength, a commitment and a unity that spread to the fans, and vice versa. It was a sharing of energy that began in those two matches, with the right belief, the right feelings and the right emotions. That feeling kept growing throughout the season and made it feel as though we were playing at home in 32 of the 34 league rounds. In the only two where we were outnumbered in the stands, the fans still managed to make enough noise for us to feel their support, and it was a fantastic journey. The title celebration brought together all the emotions of this season. We did not see a single meter of empty space, from the Dragão to Ribeira and from Ribeira to Aliados, on every street, on every balcony, everywhere, we saw people wanting to show they were with us. It was a fantastic moment, one that will be unforgettable for everyone.”

In honor of Jorge Costa“What we experienced on August 5 will stay with us forever. It was a dramatic moment, from the first feeling that something was wrong to receiving the bad news a few hours later. I still remember being with the president, with Tiago and with Diogo trying to understand what was happening and how we should react, because no one is prepared for these things. You do not learn this on a coaching course and there is no right way to react. In that moment, we found the energy needed to respond the way Jorge would have wanted, as a group and as a team. The response we gave on the pitch a few days later, that moment before the match, the minute’s silence, the entire stadium with the number 2… it is hard to explain. Jorge was always with us. In difficult moments I looked many times at his flag.”

‘Rock and roll’ on the pitch?“I do not know what the exact definition is, but there is one word I really like: approach. We approach every match with a combative spirit and, in moments of fatigue, we fight even harder. That is what we did in every match. Some were more enjoyable to watch, others less so, but we approached all of them with the same spirit. That consistency brought us to where we are today and was the best way to represent this incredible football club and honor the memory of the eternal Captain.”

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