Wilson Manafá doesn't forget FC Porto: “It was the peak of my career” | OneFootball

Wilson Manafá gave an interview to the newspaper A Bola, in which he addressed various topics. Among them, the 31-year-old right-back, who currently plays in China for Shanghai Shenhua, looked back on his time at FC Porto, starting from his move from Portimonense.

“Things were going very well at Portimonense. People were already talking about Olympiakos being interested and all that. But Jadson, the centre-back who played with me, kept saying I was going to FC Porto. I didn’t know anything about it, though. Then, in the game against Benfica, António Folha came up to me and said: ‘At this rate, it’ll be hard to keep you here.’ News started coming out saying FC Porto were interested, and my agent at the time confirmed it to me. I even spoke with Sérgio Conceição. It came out of nowhere. I was at home, I spoke to my wife, Jéssica, and said: ‘I have the chance to go to FC Porto.’ She immediately started imagining all sorts of things, as if I were going to the other side of the world [laughs]. But everything went well, she came with me to Porto and really liked it,” said Manafá.

“It was a childhood dream. I always wanted to play for a big club and in the league. When that opportunity came up, it was a dream come true. Then the titles came too, which was great, but when I arrived at FC Porto, that was the peak of my career,” added Manafá, who then spoke about adapting to the Dragão:

“At the beginning it’s always complicated. Going from Portimonense to an FC Porto where you’re expected to win every game is always difficult. A lot of criticism, a lot of people talking, which is normal. That half-season when I arrived, and the start of the following year, were a bit complicated, but then I started adapting to the demands and the way the club worked, and it became much easier.”

Wilson Manafá was asked about the player who impressed him the most at FC Porto, and he replied like this:

“Corona was exceptional. In every aspect — dribbling, passing, control — he really was exceptional. And actually, he was one of the guys I got along with best there. Me, Otávio, Tiquinho, even Danilo too, he’s a really nice guy. I could mention practically the whole dressing room because I’m someone who gets along with everyone, and the group was fantastic. Maxi, even Iker, Pepe, Zaidu, Fábio Cardoso...”

Wilson Manafá also spoke about the impact of Sérgio Conceição on his career:

“It was good, because he gave me a different view of football, I became more demanding. Now I’ve got this thing where I hate losing and I get really upset — not like him, nowhere near like him [laughs] — but I do get upset. He did me a lot of good, helped me develop and believe in myself more.”

Wilson Manafá also commented on FC Porto’s current season:

“FC Porto have been very good, always very consistent since the start of the league, always getting good results. I’m happy. I always try to watch the highlights the next day, but it’s not the same as watching the game live. Still, I always try to keep up with FC Porto and I think that, this year, they’ve surprised everyone,” he said, before speaking about the impact of Francesco Farioli.

“Exactly, also because of the previous year, because of the mess it was, with the group going through a lot of ups and downs. I thought it would take FC Porto a bit longer to get organised again, with the change of president and the restructuring as well. But FC Porto have been very good.”

Wilson Manafá was also asked about the possibility of returning to Europe and Portugal:

“To Portugal, maybe further down the line. I’m 32 years old and I still don’t feel that now is the time to come back. But it could happen, I don’t know what the future holds.”

“I’d like to play for Portimonense, but right now it’s a bit complicated. Obviously, FC Porto is the club I like most in the league, but I know it’s very difficult to return,” continued Manafá, who has been playing for the Chinese club for three years.

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