Why Farioli urged the board to keep Deniz Gul | OneFootball

Deniz Gul came on in the second half against Arouca and changed the course of the match, bringing stability to FC Porto. The Turkish international scored his first goal of the season three minutes after Martim Fernandes was sent off. Contrary to expectations, Arouca entered a negative spiral and FC Porto accelerated towards a 4-0 rout.

A year after his last goal in the blue and white shirt, Gul’s fine moment in Serra da Freita once again highlighted one of the squad’s most promising prospects, who has been living in the shadow of Samu and, until recently, Luuk de Jong, now out of competition due to injury.

Scouted by FC Porto from Hammarby, the number 27 arrived at Dragão in the summer of 2024 for 4.5 million euros. This investment reflects the club’s vision, seeing in Gul not only a raw talent, but also a player with room to establish himself. However, adapting to Portuguese football was slow and demanding, leaving Deniz surrounded by doubts at the start of 2025/26. Even so, Porto’s board refused to put him on the summer market, despite interest from several Turkish and Belgian clubs – a decision supported by the stance taken by Francesco Farioli regarding the striker.

The Porto coach was surprised by the progress Gul showed since the start of pre-season, especially in terms of finishing ability and attitude in training, and firmly advocated for the player’s continuity in the squad. A similar situation has occurred with other players, with Pepê being the most notable example.

Imposing in the box (1.88 m) and with the right profile to serve as an attacking reference, Gul has characteristics that set him apart from Samu. His ease at playing with his back to goal, protecting the ball under pressure, and combining with midfielders and wingers pleases the Italian coach. These qualities, combined with his young age – 21 years old – make the striker a versatile player with great potential for development, a combination that satisfies both the coach and the board. Tomorrow, against Red Star, Deniz Gul has a chance to return to the starting eleven, something that hasn’t happened since April 26, against Estrela da Amadora. As Farioli stated, all the Turk was missing was to “believe more in himself”…

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