Varela, Pepê, Zaidu and Deniz Gul: quartet revived under Farioli’s guidance | OneFootball

The arrival of Francesco Farioli at FC Porto has translated into a notable advance in several aspects: beyond sporting results, there have been improvements in organization, club culture, communication and, decisively, on the psychological front. The Italian coach has managed to maximize the players’ potential, with several cases of individual breakthroughs standing out in the 2024/2025 season.

The most evident examples are Alan Varela, Pepê, Zaidu and Deniz Gül, with a mention also for the unlucky Nehuén Pérez: he was having a good start to the season until he suffered a complete rupture of the Achilles tendon, an injury that will keep him off the pitch for several months.

A large part of this psychological recovery of athletes who, for different reasons, had not shown their full potential in the previous season is owed to Farioli and his coaching staff. Alan Varela now appears more consistent on the pitch, while Pepê has publicly admitted that he stalled his development during 2024/2025 due to mental reasons.

Farioli’s psychological work has led players with low self-esteem to rediscover confidence, showing them the role they can play and the quality needed to contribute to FC Porto.

A positive atmosphere has returned to Olival: the intensity of training and the visible joy on the players’ faces highlight the impact of the Italian coach and his staff on the morale of the club’s professionals.

Alan Varela, Pepê, Zaidu and Deniz Gül are the most notable cases. The Turkish international has reappeared reinvigorated, taking advantage of Luuk de Jong’s injury, and has added quality and physical availability, especially in the home games against Red Star and Benfica. The crises of confidence seem to have been overcome and there are combative Porto players on the pitch again.

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