João Henriques on Bednarek: “When the groups are strong…” | OneFootball

FC Porto as champions: “FC Porto are not a relaxed team; it is not in their DNA, and that is what they showed throughout the season. Even though they already have the title in their hands, they still have goals to achieve. Just like us, as we continue chasing those micro-goals. In the same way that we have grown since relegation, FC Porto will maintain their competitive levels and come here to win and consolidate what is already a certainty: a title in their hands with extraordinary numbers. FC Porto will try to impose their game and we will do our part; we have to be competitive and strong in the duels. The opponent leads in many indicators, but the team knows what it has to do. Then, it is football, and any result can happen.”

Surprising FC Porto: “I always believe because I am optimistic, and this game is no exception. It is an opponent we have to respect, but in my career I have already faced them eleven times: I lost nine, drew one and won once. Is it impossible? No. FC Porto are in a different moment from the one Sporting were in when we faced them, when they were coming off a difficult run, but now it is different. The opponent is of the same calibre, but in a different moment, one of euphoria, with maximum confidence because things have gone well, without the pressure of points but only of internal objectives. But regardless of who plays for FC Porto, I am absolutely certain it will be a very strong eleven, because at the moment I cannot identify a first-choice eleven, since they have players who can come in without it being noticeable, and that is what they have done throughout the season between the league and the Europa League. It is difficult to identify a first-choice eleven because they have the ability to change without losing quality. I do not even look much at the team’s dynamics; I look at what FC Porto are in the attacking and defensive process, in transitions and set pieces, where they are tremendously effective and strong. We have to be at our maximum, have a very good day and have all the stars align to overcome an opponent who away from home has had only two slip-ups, one defeat and one draw.”

Impact of the robbery involving Bednarek: “Sometimes it can even leave a mark in a positive way, making people come together even more around a teammate. In difficult moments, when groups are strong, as this one appears to be, it makes them unite around Bednarek and bring that aura onto the pitch. And I believe that, regardless of the episode, which is unpleasant and regrettable, FC Porto will be thoroughly prepared and up to the demands of the match”

Dignity until the end: “We are going to play with respect for the competition, for the people who have supported us from the start, for the town, for the fans and for the club, and for that we have to maintain the highest levels of competitiveness, because we have the responsibility to continue the good run we have managed. There are two games left, difficult ones, and we want to keep picking up points, doing what we set out to do from the beginning, but more emphatically after relegation because we have to be very worthy of this league and finish the season showing that the first half of the season was merely an accident; otherwise, we would be talking about other things. If we look back at the last five, ten or fifteen games, what we have done would have been enough for survival in a comfortable position.”

Squad value increasing: “We have players we can continue to develop. Despite the poor collective season, there is a lot of individual quality, and those assets are important for the club, with the collective now helping to increase their value. We have several players who, with these recent matches and this good run of games, can be important assets in this transition from one season to the next, as well as a good financial return, which is also one of our jobs. We have gone past two targets and set two more: reaching the 20-point mark and extending our run of consecutive matches with points to five. We want to finish this way, even knowing that FC Porto are ahead of us, national champions with incredible numbers.”

Players who have stood out: “I do not really like singling individuals out, but players like Devenish, Roni, Tunde and Pedro Lima have stood out. But Paulo Vitor and Rivas have also put in good performances. Roni is a player with different characteristics from the others, who has helped us a lot and has been talked about a lot, just like Pedro Lima, who scored in three consecutive matchdays. Tunde has already matched numbers from previous seasons, after a period of lower visibility due to Ramadan. Gustavo Mendonça, who had not had many minutes, has grown a lot and will grow even more. Diego Duarte and Neiva have also developed. Our job is to provide the best conditions for the players to stand out.”

Future at Aves SAD: “Whether I stay at the club or not is not taboo, it is a reality. I like to finish the job and then sit down with people to analyse everything and define what is best for both parties. That is what will happen. We still have work to finish. We have already surpassed our points tally from the first half of the season, improved on the second half of last season, and we can still produce Aves SAD’s best-ever second half of a top-flight season. We are in a positive phase, on a winning run, and I believe this aura can be important for next season.”

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