Francisco Conceição thanks Pinto da Costa: “He brought me back…” | OneFootball

Francisco Conceição, the Portuguese international representing Juventus, spoke to Sport TV about significant moments in his career, the influence of his family, and the decisions that led him back to FC Porto.

Regarding his first goal for FC Porto's main team, he highlighted the family presence: “With the whole family watching... I think family is what drives me every day to have the hunger to succeed in life, to prove every day that I have the ability, because my goal is to make my family proud. That moment was very beautiful, my first goal for FC Porto's main team with my whole family watching, I think there's nothing more beautiful than that. Everything we went through, all the sacrifices I made, were worth it with the help of my father and my mother and my siblings.”

He also recalled winning the championship alongside his father, Sérgio Conceição, as the coach: “It was truly a dream come true, because if my first goal was to reach the main team, I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would win the championship with him as the coach. It was very real, I think it was a unique moment and a dream come true. I thank God every day for that title, which will always remain in my heart.

The stint at Ajax did not meet expectations, he admitted, prompting his return to FC Porto: “I won't lie, I went to Ajax with high expectations, unfortunately things didn't go as well as I wished, I didn't get as many minutes as I wanted and I wanted to leave after the first year. I had several offers from foreign clubs, but I thought it was important to return to FC Porto, as it was a place I knew and didn't need to adapt to. It was the right step.”

Regarding the role of Pinto da Costa in his career, he emphasized the president's confidence: “The president Pinto da Costa has an incredible importance in my career. He was the one who brought me back after Ajax, he trusted me a lot, just like my father. They knew that sooner or later I would prove my worth and I am eternally grateful to him. He is a remarkable, mythical figure of our club, who will never be forgotten.”

Finally, he considered this season to be the best of his career so far and that the experience abroad better prepared him to fulfill his potential: “Yes, this clearly shows the impact they had on my return, I felt very motivated to help the club. I came back even more prepared than in my first stint, because I had already experienced some things abroad that I wasn't used to and that gave me some ‘baggage’. That helped me and I managed to express a lot of my potential.”

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