FC Porto started the 2022/23 edition of the Championship the same way they finished the previous season: winning. In the first of 34 matchdays set in the calendar, the title holders beat Marítimo (5-1) and picked up the first three points of the new season. At the end of their 299th match in the main division, Sérgio Conceição promised to always send in a team ready “to fight and overcome all difficulties” despite being “cautious” given to the “unfortunate” attitude of the third team that “only leads to even more nerves”.

An unusual protagonist
“Marítimo went in determined, wanting to show that they came here to fight for the result. It is a positive attitude, but I think that, with time, we created more and became the team that got us used to a very strong pressure, high, that doesn’t let the opponent do what they like. From that moment on, the goal came, we created more situations, always with an aggressive team trying to attack with danger. Here and there, in terms of balance in possession, it wasn’t the best, but we got a natural result for a team that looks at this championship to defend the title and realizes that we will have many difficulties. We are here to fight and overcome all difficulties. I’m a bit cautious for what I’m feeling. I am a coach who gestures, who talks a lot to the team on the pitch and lives the game with passion. Last week, I didn’t say a word to Manuel Mota, today it was exactly the same. I am sure that the situation with Tagueau would have been a second yellow and a red, but apparently this is the best way to not talk so much about mistakes. The referee shows an attitude that shouldn’t be this, not one of dialogue, goes to the bench to show cards, to send people off and instead of calming everyone down, only leads to even more nerves. There is no need for that. We were unfortunate with the refereeing teams in these official matches, but we are here to be stronger than the opponent on the pitch. Let’s hope whoever had a more capable coaching staff and players wins in May.”

Non-negotiable principles
“We always work on the edge of our capacities, with full dedication and ambition. It shows respect to the opponent to want more even when the clock ticks 90 minutes. We never let our guard down, we’re always wary even though the result is comfortable, we stay true to who we are and the principles we have. If we are a pressing team, we have to continue to be so until the match is over. The demand here is daily, in training, and the match is just a reflection of what goes on during the week.”

The evolution of the game
“We are true to our principles. In terms of strategy, we can have one or another variation in the match and understand the different moments, but it depends on the context. We are not going to give up our basic principles. For five years, we’ve been a team with those principles, with different models and structures, but always looking for the characteristics that are the basis of football, which is increasingly intense, faster and that demands players to be physically and psychologically prepared and we have a lot of people here working well in that sense.”