Alberto unfazed: “At FC Porto, pressure is a privilege” | OneFootball

In a long interview with FC Porto’s news channels, Alberto spoke about the experience of playing for the club he loves, about the dream of winning titles with the dragon on his chest, and about the pressure felt by a player at a club of the dragons’ stature.

“I think the results have shown that, and I also think we have to see pressure as a privilege. Because if it weren’t for the path we had taken, we wouldn’t be under this pressure. If we didn’t have pressure, that’s when I think we’d really be in trouble. So we just have to see this as a positive thing, that it’s a privilege to have this pressure,” he said, before going on to speak about the competition with Martim Fernandes:

“I think it’s a very good relationship. Even at all the clubs we’ve been through, that exists, but I think here we have a good friendship. It’s a very good thing for both of us to grow, because we always want to be at our best. And if one pushes a little more, the other has to push a little more too. I think that’s incredible for our growth, both in my position and, I think, throughout our squad, which is incredible in that regard: we’re always all pushing each other,” he stressed.

Playing alongside Thiago Silva and Bednarek

“I think you can learn every day from players like that. From their positioning on the pitch, from… me being a full-back and him a centre-back, the communication he gives me, always talking to me. It’s something that also pushes me on, and I’ve really enjoyed sharing the pitch with him, and the dressing room too.”

How do you deal with positive criticism?

“It’s always good to receive praise, it’s always good to look at the numbers and actually see that we have the best defensive record. But of course people give more credit to the defence, to the goalkeepers, but I think in our team it starts with the striker. If needed, sometimes he’s the one who has to start the press, sometimes he drops deeper, and we all have to stay compact from the midfielders to the wingers… I really think it’s team work, but since it’s about goals conceded, the credit ends up going more to the defence.”

Writing his name into the club’s history

“Being able to write my name into that history so that in a few years they might look back and group together Danilo, Alberto… I think that’s motivation, that’s extra motivation and not extra responsibility.”

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