Freitas after Champions League win: “Joy to help Porto win again” | OneFootball

Paulo Freitas spoke with the euphoria of someone who has just taken FC Porto to the top of European roller hockey, after the Champions League triumph against FC Barcelona. In the aftermath of the final, the Porto coach highlighted the team’s character, the way the game was built from the very first moment, and the ability to suffer when the pressure of the decision tightened. In the middle of the celebration, there was still room to look at the rival with respect and to thank the support coming from the stands, and he assured: “Nothing else matters.”

At the end of a night of European glory, Paulo Freitas remained faithful to an idea that ran through his entire speech: the triumph is explained as much by ambition as by the team’s competitive identity. The FC Porto roller hockey coach spoke of a group with character, of an atmosphere worthy of the occasion, and of a victory that, more than closing a chapter, already seems to push the focus toward what comes next.

Asked about the meaning of the triumph, Paulo Freitas answered without straying, placing the trophy at the center of the night and bringing forward the collective dimension of the achievement. Along the way, he also left a clear thank-you to the fans and a message of continuity, as if the party did not erase the sense of demand.

“The important thing is that FC Porto has a roller hockey team with great character and will place another trophy in its Museum. Nothing else matters.”, he said. “Starting tomorrow we will begin recovering and preparing the players, because more things will come. I usually say that the best is yet to come. The atmosphere was fantastic and indescribable because of all these people who are here, and I thank them. On Wednesday they were already here supporting us. Today there are even more of them. It is an immense joy to help FC Porto win another trophy for the Museum.”

In the coach’s words, the celebration never breaks away from the culture of high standards. The trophy is valued, but the deeper message lies in the idea of continuity: win, give thanks, and go back to preparing for what comes next.

When the conversation turned to the match itself, Paulo Freitas explained the way FC Porto approached the final and how he reads the two distinct phases of the game. The analysis was direct and revealed a plan designed to put the opponent under pressure from early on.

“It was part of our game plan. We had to be strong from the beginning.”, he explained. “The game had two distinct halves: a first half in which we were much better than FC Barcelona and they were surprised by our start, and a second half that was tighter, because we are talking about important titles and a final.”

It is a reading that helps explain the tone of the victory: intensity to stamp authority, emotional control to hold firm when the game changed temperature. Freitas described a team capable of imposing its idea and then adapting to the specific weight of a European final.

As for the opponent, the coach rejected any empty triumphalism and made a point of framing the difficulty of the task. The reference to Ricardo Ares added emotional depth to the moment, before returning to what he was most interested in stressing: Porto’s merit.

“They also have a lot of quality, they are very well coached by Ricardo Ares, who was my predecessor at FC Porto, and that is why I asked for a round of applause for him, because he also honored this Club a great deal.”, he acknowledged. “We had the ability to suffer, we were deserved Champions, and we are living a moment of great joy.”

The praise for the opponent does not lessen the conviction; on the contrary, it reinforces it. By acknowledging the quality on the other side and still insisting on the fairness of the triumph, Paulo Freitas ended the night with the image of a team that knew how to attack, resist, and lift the trophy with full legitimacy.

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