B team start, João Brito: “We’re young, but very mature” | OneFootball

João Brito began FC Porto B’s pre-season with the same mix of enthusiasm and awareness of the difficulties awaiting the team in Liga Portugal 2. The 17-year-old midfielder spoke about preparation, maturity and unity at the start of training, as a young group looks to turn energy into competitive readiness. At the heart of his message was an idea he repeated without hesitation, as he assured: “We are a young team, but we are very mature.”

On the first day of a new journey, João Brito emerged as the face of an FC Porto B side returning to work with its eyes on what lies ahead. Between the demands of pre-season and stepping into a more clearly professional environment, the young midfielder delivered a simple and firm message: there is youth in the squad, but no room for naivety.

The first topic was the return to work and to the dressing room, a reunion with the routine that gives meaning to the days of those who live to play. Brito spoke naturally about the joy of training again and getting back the group atmosphere.

“I’m very happy to be back. Doing what we love and being able to return to reality, to play and to all be together again, is the most important thing.”

More than just a routine statement, the comment shows the value the young midfielder places on the collective and the normal rhythm of life on the pitch. Before any distant goal, the starting point lies in the desire to return and rebuild the team dynamic.

When the focus shifted to the demands of pre-season and what Liga Portugal 2 asks of a developing side, Brito went straight to the point. He acknowledged the weight of this stage and outlined the path of preparation with a mix of caution and confidence.

“Pre-season is one of the most important times of the season, because it’s when we prepare for what will happen during the year,” he said. “We know Liga Portugal 2 is very difficult and that it has older teams than us. We are a young team, but we are very mature, and we will prepare ourselves as much as possible so we can start the season well.”

The coach also stressed the need to fine-tune the group so it can be ready for the official start.

“We’re going to prepare as much as possible during this period so that we can reach the start of the season at our best and be ready to start winning.”

In the midfielder’s view, youth is not an excuse, but rather a characteristic that has to be offset by preparation and competitive maturity. It is an idea that runs through his words: the challenge is great, but the response begins now.

Looking ahead to the league campaign, João Brito insisted on the need to turn the page and focus the group on what is to come. Here, ambition is linked to the ability to learn from the past without being trapped by it.

“Liga Portugal 2 is always very competitive, but we have to forget last season and focus on this new year,” he explained. “We have a very young team, but a very mature one, and I feel we are prepared. This is the time to get ready so we can start well.”

There is, in the midfielder’s words, a clear attempt to refocus the message on the present and on building the immediate future. Without dramatizing the context, Brito points to a team that wants to enter the season with conviction and without noise.

There was also room to speak about the emotional side surrounding the club, in a more heartfelt tone. The bond with the fans emerged as part of the environment that supports the group.

“The Porto family is the most important thing. It’s always good to have this family with us, supporting us at every moment.”

This reference to “family” helps explain how the young midfielder sees the dressing room and everything around it: as a space of belonging, support and continuity. At the start of a season, that emotional foundation weighs as heavily as physical and tactical preparation.

Asked about the personal meaning of this moment, Brito framed pre-season as a new stage in his development. He did so with the awareness of someone taking steps in a more demanding environment, but also with gratitude for the way he was welcomed.

“It’s something new, but also very special. It’s the first time I’m doing a pre-season with a team that competes at professional level,” he acknowledged. “Last year, I already had the opportunity to make my debut for the B team, and the group welcomed me very well, always willing to help the younger players and prepare us for the future.”

The midfielder thus describes a transition supported by a dressing room willing to integrate and protect those who arrive. The maturity he speaks of does not show itself only in competition; it is also revealed in the way the group welcomes and pushes the younger players forward.

That idea naturally led to the final point: internal cohesion. João Brito presented the group as a united structure, where age differences do not interfere with mutual support.

“Even though we are a young team, we have a very cohesive group and we all help each other, regardless of whether we are younger or older.”

That is perhaps where the picture of this beginning is best completed: a young squad, yes, but one committed to turning that condition into a collective strength. In João Brito’s words, pre-season begins with enthusiasm, passes through demanding work, and ends in the conviction that maturity is also built together.

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