Farioli back in Porto, finalising pre-season return at Olival | OneFootball

Francesco Farioli has returned to Porto at the start of the week and is finalising preparations for the start of 2026/27 on Wednesday at CTFD Jorge Costa. The coach is convinced standards will rise for the national champions.

According to O Jogo, Porto are counting down to the squad’s return, with players following prescribed programmes while finishing their holidays.

His backroom team will see changes, with video analyst Liam Helsloot and goalkeeping coach Erik Heijblok arriving from Ajax, where they previously worked with Farioli.

In the squad, reinforcements João Afonso and André Silva are secured, while young Eirik Granaas will be assessed by the Italian during pre-season.

Nine academy players have been told to report on the 1st: Yoan Pereira, Luís Gomes, Tiago Silva, Bernardo Lima, Mateus Mide, João Teixeira, André Miranda, Duarte Cunha and Eduardo Ferreira.

Two weeks ago, Farioli said it was the first time in eight years he had truly enjoyed a summer break with his family, driven by enthusiasm for returning to work. He remained in constant contact with the club structure and has already told the squad to come back with the same hunger.

Source: O Jogo