Prpic hails Farioli: "He's a top manager with brilliant ideas" | OneFootball

Upon arriving in Portugal, Prpic states he is fully convinced that signing with FC Porto was the best decision for his career. In statements to the newspaper Sportske Novosti, while part of the Croatian under-21 team, the young central defender mentioned feeling that he joined “a top club” and praised Francesco Farioli.

“Every coach has their methods. I spent some time with Gonzalo García, who has similar working principles to my current coach, Francesco Farioli. At FC Porto, more emphasis is placed on the tactical component, and Mr. Farioli details the tactics thoroughly. I already know that in this aspect I will evolve a lot. He is a great coach with brilliant ideas,” Prpic stated, emphasizing that, so far, the experience at Dragão has exceeded all expectations.

“FC Porto is a top club, before signing I already knew it was one of the biggest in Europe. Now I see that it is exactly as I imagined and expected, maybe even surpassed the best expectations. I have already played three games and I think I adapted very well. When talking about FC Porto, I can only say good things because everything is going wonderfully,” said the young central defender, who was not intimidated by the competition in the team's defensive lineup.

“Everyone knows that in big European clubs the competition is huge. That is normal and even better for me. I got used to it from a young age. Few people know, but when I arrived at Hajduk, in the juniors, I was the fourth central defender. I earned my place through my work and performances. When I was in the first team of Hajduk I was loaned out, and this fierce competition can only be an advantage for me. It forces me to be better, to train and work more. It can only help me. I believe that over time I will earn my minutes. With patience, because I just arrived, but I just need to work and continue to evolve,” added the Croatian, who also has only praise for the Porto fans: “The FC Porto fans are passionate. Before arriving, I had already heard that they were the most fervent in Portugal and I quickly confirmed it. Against Sporting, it was phenomenal. We always have many fans supporting us and when we play at home the stadium has always been full. When I arrived, I received a lot of supportive messages, and as I was an unknown young player, I thought I was just another one to them. But seeing so many messages, I really felt very good.”

While serving the Croatian under-21 team, Prpic admits his ambition is to reach his country's main team. “Of course, it is my dream. When you start playing football, you dream of representing your national team. You look at Modric, Perišic, Rakitic… they are players who made history. I think coach Zlatko Dalic is doing an excellent job and knows the players well. It’s up to me to work and give my best. If I give everything, I believe the invitation will come. But at this moment I am focused only on the under-21 team,” he revealed.

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