Francesco Farioli: “Worrying about ‘what if’ won’t give us an edge” | OneFootball

Francesco Farioli, FC Porto head coach, previews the trip to Estoril this Sunday at 8:30pm for Matchday 29 of the league:

Analysis of the opponent

«We are going to play against a team that has been having a very positive season, playing attacking football. Their matches usually have a lot of goals and they have one of the best attacks in the league. It will certainly be a difficult game. We have to step onto the pitch with the right attitude and at our best.»

Playing again after Sporting and Benfica

«It has happened several times that we were the last to play. We know that scenario very well, and our priority has to be to focus exclusively on our own matches.»

Could a negative result in Estoril undermine all the good work done so far?

«Every game has its importance. Tomorrow’s is important too, but you are focusing on the consequences, positive or negative, when what really matters, and what we want to maintain for the rest of the season, is staying switched on at all times. Worrying about “what if” scenarios will not give us any kind of advantage. People have already tried to build a narrative around the possible consequences of a bad game or result, and that helps sell newspapers. I respect your work, but we have to go ball by ball, game by game, and stay focused on the present.»

FC Porto under pressure in Estoril?

«Since the start of the season, we have not been able to drop points. Looking at the average points of the three teams at the top of the league, they are doing better than last season, when the title was decided in the final game. As for us, we are doing much better than last season. In a season like this, it is obvious that winning every game is decisive. Now, if we focus on what the result might be after the 90 minutes, we miss what really matters, which is how we should approach the game. Nothing has to change; since the beginning of the season we have played with the positive pressure of winning matches. We could not have got here with wins alone, the approach has to be the same.»

FC Porto with a clear mind in Estoril?

«I do not know if I explained myself well in the previous answers, but I have already given my opinion on that. There were several questions about extra pressure or how decisive this game is. The truth is that tomorrow’s game is very important, just as the games against Famalicão and Sp. Braga were, and as those we still have to play will be. At this stage, and considering how the teams at the top are competing, every game is important, but there is no need to add extra motivation. We have to put in good performances, because if we do that we will be closer to the results we want to achieve. We have to focus only on the present and on giving our best at every moment.»

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