Farioli hails star Thiago Silva: "He’s a top player, few reach 1,000 games" | OneFootball

Francesco Farioli, coach of FC Porto, gave a preview this Wednesday of the match tomorrow (8:00 PM) against Stuttgart, at the Estádio do Dragão, regarding the second leg of the Europa League round of 16.

Thiago Silva could reach the milestone of a thousand matches in his career tomorrow. How important are players with his experience in games of this nature and at this stage of the season? “It's incredible to reach that number. I don't even know how many players reach a thousand professional games. It's something unique and says a lot about his career. He is still an elite player. The opportunity to achieve this milestone is fantastic, but in his mind, the priority is to help the team. He is going through a difficult time [due to the death of his mother], but besides being an elite player, he is an incredible leader, with a voice, but even more so by example. Since he returned, he has always had the right attitude and energy. He wants to play and help the club.”

In recent matches, goals have come in the first half. Is that part of the strategy? “The desire to score as early as possible is what all coaches wish for. It's normal. We will approach the game with a desire to maintain our style, to be protagonists. We will face a team similar to us, which is courageous in what they do with and without the ball. The vision is identical on the field.”

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