Already crowned national champions, FC Porto lost 3-1 to AFS on Sunday at Vila das Aves, in the 33rd and penultimate matchday of the league. Acknowledging that “the team’s performance wasn’t the best”, but that it should have been “enough to win the game”, Francesco Farioli regretted the various missed opportunities and believes this result “should serve as a reminder for the next game and for next season”. The record of 91 points in the league can no longer be matched, but “we must move on and try to reach 88 points in front of our fans”. “We have to be the team we were in many games. It’s not usual to see FC Porto lose and concede three goals,” added the coach.

A look at the match
“We were focused. In the first half, if we look at the statistics, the three or four times they got into our box, they punished us. We created plenty of chances, but when we dropped off in certain areas, such as aggression, it became more difficult. We need to pay attention to the small details or we’ll pay dearly. This match should serve as a reminder for the next game and for next season. We have to move on and try to reach 88 points in front of our fans. It was a good opportunity to assess things for the next game and for next season. To win matches, we all have to be at our best. The team’s performance wasn’t the best, but it was enough to win the match. This says a lot about the competitiveness of the league. Apart from the moments in both penalty areas, it was a fairly decent display. Given the number of chances we created, I’m annoyed because I wanted more.”

Aerial duels
“It’s essential to pay attention to the details. Bednarek is a player who gives us a lot in aerial duels, just like Diogo Costa in the way he comes off his line. They’re very important players in those situations, but it’s part of the game and there are lessons we can take from this match to start preparing well for next season. The demands will be greater for everyone and we have to be ready for that. Bednarek has been named the league’s best defender several times and Diogo Costa is among the top five goalkeepers in the world.”

The midfield
“In the first half we did what we’ve been doing all season, with certain dynamics, even though the players’ characteristics are different.”

Tiago Silva’s debut
“It was something I wanted to do. He’s been training with us for a long time and maintains a very high standard in training. I was impressed by him from the first time I saw him and wanted to give him this debut, but it also had to do with what the game demanded. Honestly, his introduction brought us some interesting elements and he played with character. He had a positive impact in his first game.”

Dominik Prpić
“The last game he’d played was in December, but today he was key to both the goals we scored, including the one that was disallowed. We’re happy with his performance. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to play in the next game due to the red card, but he’s an example of the things we take from today’s game and his performance was very positive.”

All that remains is the home game against CD Santa Clara to end the 2025/26 season
“We have to be the team we’ve been in so many games. It’s not usual to see FC Porto lose and concede three goals. Last week was a welcome wake-up call, but today we’ve had a real soaking and it doesn’t feel good. This should put us on our guard. We’re playing at a level where we can’t let our standards slip in any area. We saw how AFS fought, and when you work like that, luck comes your way. Today we dropped our standards in several areas, particularly in terms of aggression and the way we attacked the ball. We got into the opposition’s box several times and saw the ball go by in front of goal several times. We need to be more aggressive to turn those chances into goals.”

The titles in volleyball and rink hockey
“Huge congratulations to the teams who today put FC Porto’s name where it deserves to be.”