Salzburg boss urges players to show courage against unbeaten FC Porto | OneFootball

Salzburg begins its participation in the Europa League this Thursday against FC Porto, coming into the match after three consecutive games without a win in the Austrian league. In the pre-match interview, coach Thomas Letsch acknowledged the importance of facing a “high-caliber” team and called for courage from his players.

“We have a high-caliber opponent in front of us, we are happy to face FC Porto, a top team, they participated in the Club World Cup and have a new coach. It will be an interesting challenge, assuming that the standings are not very important yet,” said the German coach.

Letsch emphasized the identity of Porto’s football since the arrival of Francesco Farioli. “They have a team full of world-class players, the coach has changed the game a lot compared to previous years. With Farioli, FC Porto applies great pressure. They have only conceded one goal and that already shows how they play, they have clear patterns, a lot of speed, and we have to act with courage to face them. We can’t falter, because if we do, it won’t work…,” he warned.

The coach did not hold back praise for some of the Dragons’ standout players. “Samu is a player everyone would like to have on their team, he’s hard to control. Alan Varela is a key player in the team, but there are others as well. In goal, there’s Diogo Costa, who has many international caps. We talk about market value, but it’s a good thing that’s not what decides the games, because if it were, it would be clear who would win,” he said, adding: “We will go in with respect, but always without fear.”

Goalkeeper Alexander Schlager, the squad’s spokesperson, highlighted the need for maximum concentration. “We have to be at 100% in every detail, there’s nothing better than playing against top teams, we need perfect days and that’s what we train for. We will give everything. We have to start games well and gain a sense of security. Have self-confidence regardless of the results of previous games.”

Ready to face Diogo Costa, the 29-year-old Austrian did not hide his admiration for his counterpart. “Diogo Costa is one of the elite goalkeepers, he has improved a lot in recent years. I’m very excited to play against him, happy to share the pitch with him, but I want to play my own game.”

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