Farioli urges focus: Casa Pia will be tough despite 9 Feb ahead | OneFootball

Francesco Farioli, FC Porto's coach, during the press conference previewing the match against Casa Pia, related to the 20th round of the League:

Challenges anticipated in a complicated week for Portugal

«The pitch will most likely not be in ideal conditions, but what the country has gone through in recent days leaves us more concerned. A few days ago, in my country, something similar happened, especially in the city where my wife is from, where a storm destroyed everything. Today, seeing many people on television without their homes, who lost many things, some their own lives, is painful. For tomorrow's game, if the pitch is not in ideal conditions, it won't be a problem we can compare to what the country is dealing with at the moment.»

Significance of the challenge with the Classic and Sporting lurking

«I am very repetitive and annoying in the way I repeat the idea of taking it game by game. That is our mantra, our way of approaching things. We have spent a lot of time in recent days preparing for the game against Casa Pia, which recently changed its coach. We only have two games with the new coach, so we had to watch his games at Vizela, where he did an exceptional job, taking the team from the Third Division to the League. We also watched more recent games, at Vitória and some in Brazil, to try to have a clearer notion and be prepared for possible adaptations, knowing that Casa Pia's team was built to play with three (central defenders), but there were also experiments where they played with a line of four defenders. Therefore, we are prepared for possible variations. In the last game, they scored three goals in 60 minutes. It is a team with speed upfront, strong in transition, and very physical. Set pieces will be important. The way we enter and the energy we can put into the game will be important factors.»

Value of a seven-point lead before the Classic

«What is important is to maintain the level and follow our path. I understand the external perception that everyone is already looking at February 9, but an important step has to be taken on February 2 because Casa Pia will be a difficult game, on a difficult field. We will not change our focus or change the team based on the near future. The most important thing is the present, and the present is Casa Pia.»

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