Farioli on Moffi and Prpic's lack of minutes: “Time to assess him” | OneFootball

Francesco Farioli addressed Dominik Prpic’s situation in a measured tone, focusing less on the lack of minutes and more on what this competitive slowdown reveals about the defender’s current moment. In his response, the FC Porto coach spoke about the player’s development, explained the competition in central defense, and left a decision for the near future open. At its core, the coach pointed to a calm assessment and assured: “It is a good time to evaluate him.”

In a moment of reflection and projection, Farioli came forward with a clear message about managing a player who has disappeared from selection choices since December, but not from the life of the group. Francesco Farioli painted a picture of Prpic between the enthusiasm with which he arrived, the loss of continuity in the second half of the season, and the usefulness he still has within the squad, even away from matches.

Asked about the reason for Prpic’s competitive absence and the role he may have next season, the coach framed his answer around the player’s development and the dynamics created in the heart of defense. Rather than pointing to a flaw, he described a context of competition, balance, and adaptation.

“Dominik, perhaps it is difficult for people to see the progress he has made, because he has not played since December. Of course, with Thiago Silva’s arrival, we saw a different dynamic in the center of defense. Jan [Bednarek] played almost all the time and we alternated between him and Thiago and, at times, Pablo Rosario completes the defensive line,” he explained. “Dominik, if we go back to the beginning of the season, was eager to come, he signed fully committed to playing. He had many minutes at the start and none in the second half of the season, which created this imbalance.”

In Farioli’s words, there is an attempt to separate the lack of playing time from any negative reading of the player’s growth. The coach does not hide the imbalance between the first and second halves of the season, but refuses to let that erase the progress he says he has seen.

The coach also stressed that Prpic’s evaluation is not limited to what happened on Sundays. Here too, the response was less statistical and more human, looking at daily commitment and internal recognition.

“It is not a matter of him not having developed. He made rapid progress, but at the end of the transfer window, the connection with day-to-day work dropped off a little, yet he always showed a high level,” he said. “And even without playing since the end of the year, he helps keep the level of training higher. He is very important in training and the level of commitment he shows always proves that he is at his best. And being so well regarded by the other teammates, especially the older ones, says a lot about how he fits within the group. It is a good time to evaluate him and, calmly, decide what to do for his development and for the club. I am very grateful for what he did for us this season.”

Farioli thus outlines a case that is far from being settled by a simple lack of minutes. The idea he leaves is that of a player who is valued internally, whose future will be decided without haste, between what he showed when he played and what he continues to offer every day in training.

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