THEAfter three rounds, FC Porto continues without gaining a single point, in the league phase of the Champions League, and, this Tuesday, in the press conference that followed the most recent defeat, against PSV, at Estádio do Dragão, by 0-1, Francesco Farioli assumed that the scenario is far from being the best.
“Tonight’s analysis is quite simple. We had two moments, at the beginning of the game, in which we could have made it 1-0. After that, we had a game of duels and an open field against a very mobile team that, naturally, could create problems. In the first half, we had a lot of difficulties”, he began by stating.
“However, we also had moments where we won the ball back and, with the opponent being very exposed, we could have scored. It’s part of the game, but we weren’t able to achieve it. In the second half, the dynamic changed completely. We created enough, in my opinion, to justify a different result”, he continued.
“However, this is the third time, after a Champions League game, that I have said that we deserved more than zero points. This is something that frustrates us all. The effort was there, but the quality was perhaps not what was needed. We know that this Champions League is a totally different reality to the Europa League”, he added.
Even so, the Italian coach recalled that it had been “two years” since the blue and whites were in the million-dollar competition: “If we believe that in 15 months we would be able to complete our entire path of evolution and progression, I think we are a little far from reality. 15 months ago, the team returned from the USA after losing against Inter Miami and drawing against an Egyptian team, so we have to be coherent in relation to the process in which we find ourselves”.
“It’s very interesting to talk about a crisis in a team that is in first place in the championship”
Francesco Farioli nevertheless categorically rejected the idea that the Dragons are in crisis: “It’s very interesting to talk about a crisis in a team that is in first place in the championship, with eight wins in eight games and a Classic won a few weeks ago. It’s a very peculiar way of formulating the question.”
“I would say we want more. In a colder assessment, it is easy to imagine that we deserved to have at least a couple more points. Without wanting to be too optimistic, two more points would be perfectly within our reach. As we didn’t win them, there are responsibilities to assume”, he reflected.
“As a responsible person, I know that there are things we need to do better. But, as I said before, we have made a huge leap in terms of demand in the last 15 months. Believing that we can close the gap to the top of Europe in just 15 months is excessively optimistic thinking,” he added.
After all, why is FC Porto suffering so much?
All in all, this was the seventh consecutive game in which FC Porto conceded goals, the worst sequence since Francesco Farioli arrived at the club. Challenged to explain this phenomenon, the coach pointed out “different reasons”: “One of them has to do with the quality of the opponents, given that the level is higher and it is normal to face difficulties”.
“On the other hand, there were moments in the game when we conceded goals in scenarios that we could have avoided. We are far from perfect and we have aspects to work on”, he concluded, in front of journalists, after the team was whistled at by the fans themselves.
