FC Porto: what the new season and Farioli hold for Prpic | OneFootball

Thiago Silva’s arrival at FC Porto in the January transfer window, added to Pablo Rosario’s versatility, pushed Prpic to the bottom of the centre-back pecking order in the second half of last season, leaving the young Croatian with little room to show the qualities that led the Dragons to sign him. Despite his limited playing time, Francesco Farioli continued to praise the player, including after the defeat against Aves SAD, a match in which Prpic was sent off in the second half.

“A word as well for Prpic. His last game had been in December, and he was key in the goal we scored and another that was ruled out. A great game from him, with and without the ball. We are happy with his performance. It is a positive aspect we took from this match,” said the Italian coach, who had already spoken about the centre-back at the press conference. “I understand that, from the outside, it may be difficult to see his development, because he hasn’t played since December. If we go back to the start of the season and the expectations Dominik had before coming, I think he would have signed up for the roughly 600 minutes he played this season. The fact that he had more minutes at the start of the season and not in the second half may seem unbalanced. But when we have the Polish national team’s centre-back pairing and a legend like Thiago, it is not easy. This is not against him or against the fact that he has not developed. I think he has developed strongly, and it was only at the end of the January window that his day-to-day connection dropped a little. But he always showed high standards, even without playing since January, helping the team maintain the level of the training sessions, and I think the fact that he is recognised by his teammates says a lot about his role in the group. It is a good time to make an assessment, analyse and decide what is best for the club and for his personal development. Dominik is a player I am connected to professionally and personally, and I am grateful for what he has already done,” he added.

FC Porto will begin 2026/27 with Bednarek, Kiwior, Nehuén Pérez and Prpic as options for the heart of the defence, with Pablo Rosario serving as an emergency alternative in that position, especially since he already showed his ability there during his first season wearing the Dragons shirt.

Dominik Prpic, 22, made 12 official appearances in 2025/26 across all competitions and is under contract with the Dragons until June 2030, protected by a release clause set at 60 million euros.

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