Farioli: “Diogo Costa’s new deal is a big step forward for the club” | OneFootball

"Regarding Diogo's renewal, I think it was a big step for the club and for the team as well. His renewal was celebrated with great enthusiasm by all the players. We don't need to talk about his quality at this level, but particularly for what he has done in terms of leadership, charisma, the way he has worn the armband is, in my opinion, unique, so I am very pleased to work with him and for him to be the captain of our team. We have a great relationship, we respect each other, we like each other, and we are aligned when it comes to our ambition and desire to be at the right level in terms of behavior. From there, we evolve through daily work, which is the most important."

Alan Varela experienced a drop in performance after Pablo Rosário's integration

"About Alan, I think he is one of the players with the most minutes on the team, so it is normal and human for it to be more difficult to always maintain a high level, even though in the last game, besides the goal, the game was very positive, on a very difficult pitch to play on. He started to feel difficulties from the 60th minute, also because the pitch was heavy, but I think he has given us a lot. He is a key player for us. There was talk of competition between the two, but the truth is that they complement each other very well due to the fact that Pablo plays several positions. The two have already played together and have given a lot to the team. It's a long season, tomorrow's game is an important step, so I had to make some decisions in the midfield, but looking ahead, I think having two players of this level in the midfield is very important for us and we will try to manage this in the best possible way so that they can maintain their level and continue to progress."

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