Jorge Amaral: Rodrigo Mora only plays for Porto in a crisis | OneFootball

In the twelfth official match of the 2025/26 season, FC Porto saw their unbeaten streak end with a 0-2 loss away to Nottingham Forest, in the third round of the Europa League group stage.

The defeat was marked by a lackluster performance from the team managed by Francesco Farioli, who opted for a cautious approach and fielded a midfield with Alan Varela, Pablo Rosario, and Victor Froholdt.

The creative players Gabri Veiga and Rodrigo Mora remained on the bench, only being introduced in the final minutes, with the team already trailing on the scoreboard.

In exclusive statements to the portal Desporto ao Minuto, Jorge Amaral criticized the game model of the current leader of the Primeira Liga.

“This defeat is annoying! FC Porto missed a golden opportunity to win in England against a team going through a rough patch. Farioli wanted to match the physical aspect with the opponent's midfield and ‘forgot’ the technical part of the game, working with the ball. Samu was a ‘victim’ of the team and the midfielders lacked the ability to close in. The substitutions were also unfortunate. Generally, they are like-for-like and this game called for a different tactical nuance, perhaps opening up the attack more,” highlighted the former goalkeeper of the Dragons, once again pointing out the non-interventionist role of Rodrigo Mora, who came on 13 minutes from the 90.

“It's a déjà vu this season. He started by putting Gabri Veiga on the field, but quickly saw that he wasn't adding anything to the game. It's hard for the young player to have confidence when it doesn't come from the coach. He was a hero in the [2-1] victory against Red Star and since then only comes on in the final parts of matches. This is not how you manage the most technical player of the squad, and perhaps of the Primeira Liga. In this FC Porto, Rodrigo Mora is seen as a player to come on when the ‘house is on fire’ or when the ‘doors are wide open,’ meaning when the game is already decided,” he noted.

After scoring 11 goals last season, Rodrigo Mora has struggled to establish himself with Francesco Farioli. In 10 games, he has scored only once.

“I understand that when you sign a Gabri Veiga, who gives up 90% of his salary to come to FC Porto, he is the initial bet, but let the field speak. I do not question his value, but are you going to tell me that he is justifying his investment and deserves to have so many more minutes than Rodrigo Mora?” questioned Jorge Amaral.

“The only difference between them is the physical part. However, I remind you that when Vitinha first appeared in the main team, he was also a lightweight player. Currently, he plays as a 6 or 8 at PSG and is the best midfielder in the world, alongside Pedri [Barcelona]. I insist that Rodrigo Mora is a certainty, you only become aggressive with the game,” concluded the former player.

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