Prpic: “Farioli is a top manager, his tactical ideas are fantastic” | OneFootball

Dominik Prpic is serving the Croatian under-21 national team and took a break to comment on his first experiences at FC Porto.

In an interview with Sportske Novosti, the young central defender confessed that he was surprised by the "true greatness" of the blue and white club and positively evaluated his arrival at Dragão.

"It's a top club. Before signing, I already knew that FC Porto was one of the biggest in Europe and now I know it's exactly as I imagined and expected. Maybe even more... I have played in three games, I have adapted well. I can only say positive things about FC Porto, everything has been going wonderfully," Prpic says, offering strong praise to the dragons' coach.

"Each coach has their specific characteristics. I worked with Gonzalo García [former Arouca coach, now at Hajduk Split] for a period and he is someone who has work principles similar to those of my current coach, Francesco Farioli. At FC Porto, there is more emphasis on the tactical part and certain moments of the game. Farioli elaborates the tactics in detail. I already know that I will progress a lot in this aspect. He is a great coach with fantastic tactical ideas," praised the 21-year-old defender, who is preparing for the clash with Turkey's under-21s, regarding the qualification for the European category.

In terms of the football played, Prpic has already noted an increase in level. "There is a very big difference from Croatian football. In Portugal, the game is faster, the players are better, and there is greater competitiveness. But the Croatian league is also growing year by year," highlighted the Porto player, impressed by the fervor of the blue and white fans.

"The fans are... fire! Before going to Porto, I heard stories about the fans being the most passionate and the best in Portugal. I realized that immediately. When we played against Sporting it was incredible. They follow us in large numbers everywhere and our stadium is always full. The best word to describe them is fantastic. When I arrived, I received many messages of support and congratulations. They probably didn't know me, but I felt very good with all the messages," he emphasizes, gratefully.

Although he is not yet a starter in FC Porto's defense, Prpic has won over the fans with his attitude and performances on the field. He faces internal competition naturally and sees it as something clearly positive.

"We already know how things work in big European clubs. It's normal and, for me, even better. Many people don't know, but I was once the fourth central in the hierarchy in Hajduk's juniors," he reveals. "With the games I played and the work I developed, I fought to get to where I am now. I was loaned after reaching the main team. Therefore, this great competitiveness is a great advantage for me. It makes me become better, train better and harder. I feel that, at some point, I will be ready to fight for more minutes. I'm taking it easy, I just arrived, and I just have to work and see how I can improve," concludes Dominik Prpic.

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