FC Porto beat Santa Clara (0-1) away in the first game of 2026, and Francesco Farioli praised a team that “created several opportunities, attacked well on a difficult pitch against a very organized opponent with fast and strong players in transitions” and achieved “the best result in a difficult game”. With the first half of the season over, the Italian coach reminded everyone that “the marathon is long and we are only halfway there,” before reinforcing the importance of “continuing to work to evolve” and maintaining “the spirit, desire, and unity” that “have guided the group this far”. 

A deserved victory
“We achieved the best result in a very difficult game. The goal came from a bit of bad luck for the opposing goalkeeper, but I believe we deserved the victory because we created several chances and attacked well on a difficult pitch against a very organized team with fast players who are strong in transitions. We played our game and the result was very important.”

Every ball counts
“In the last 10 or 15 minutes, the game was broken up, there were a lot of duels, and we defended our area well. Every play is important and can help bring the result to our side. Everyone played an important role on the field. We had to make changes early because circumstances demanded it. We did well, and the victory was deserved.”

49 points out of 51
“We are not champions. We have to take to the field as if we were at a disadvantage. This mentality is very important for us to continue working to improve and feel the satisfaction of collective sacrifice once again. This is the spirit that has guided us this far and will continue to guide us in the second half of the season.”

Key to success
“It is very important to feel that everyone is committed. The attitude of the players who are fielded and those who don't get to play is a key factor. There has to be a collective desire. This is a long marathon and we are only halfway through. We have to keep working.”

Break in competition
“It’s always good to compete for titles, but since we’re out of the League Cup, we now have to make the most of our time. We’re going to train for five days in the Algarve and we want to take advantage of this opportunity to work. We know we don’t have much time, but it’s more than we’ve ever had. We have to make the most of every minute to work on our spirit, desire, and unity, above any tactical or technical aspect.”

Francisco Moura's injury 
“It seems to be written in football history. Whenever we are short in one area, it seems that the players in that position end up suffering problems. Even so, we have Martim Fernandes, who played very well on both wings today, and Kiwior, who can also play on the left. Francisco Moura felt some pain, but we are still going to assess him. When he left the field, I didn't have a bad feeling, but at the end of the game he felt more pain. We have ten days to figure out the best solution.”

Best start ever
“The numbers are good, but when we reach kilometre 21 of a marathon, we still have another 21 to go. It's a long journey. I'm happy with what we've done, the numbers are impressive, that's undeniable, but our mentality can't change. We're going to take advantage of next week to work, improve some aspects, recover some players, and integrate Thiago Silva into training. We have busy days ahead of us, and we're not going to celebrate these numbers. They're good statistics, but they're not enough. We're going to continue working with the same desire."

Samu's goal
“We know that the goal came from a very particular situation, but we created several chances. We can discuss whether or not we deserved to score, but these plays are part of football. It's important to be in the right place, and Samu was and knew how to react. In such a long season, we have to know how to capitalize on every moment. We put in a good performance on a very difficult pitch. We kept our 13th clean sheet, which shows our desire to score without conceding. We defended with the right attitude. Samu helped the team until the very last moments. We want to maintain this attitude and spirit, which is the most important thing.”

A busy month
“We are entering a cycle of very important and decisive games for several competitions. We can't relax. Now we are going to do a training camp in the Algarve. We want to work, suffer, and sweat. This is who we are and how we want to behave. Nothing will deter us from our daily work.”