Best defense, unsustainable pace and title closed early: the Tuscan coach conquers La Liga with the perfect season
Francesco Farioli chased away the ghosts and took the throne of Portugal. Twenty-one years after Giovanni Trapattoni, an Italian conquers La Liga: Trap did it with Benfica, the 37-year-old Tuscan coach does it with Porto, who triumphs four years after the last success. The party was celebrated at the Do Dragao stadium against Alverca: one point was enough, after Mourinho’s Benfica equalized from Famalicao in the afternoon, a victory arrived, the twenty-seventh, signed by Bednarek. And it was an arithmetic triumph, arriving on day 2: the shirt number of Jorge Costa, the sporting director and legend of the club who passed away in August. A significant detail for the “portista family”.
domain
—
Farioli dominated the championship. It wasn’t easy, after two years of Sporting domination. Porto was coming from a third place and a failing Club World Cup, the Dragoes seemed to be in a deep technical crisis. In a few weeks the young coach has reconstituted the spirit and the technical-tactical foundations of the club, valorising the 2006 Froholdt and William Gomes. Farioli immediately beat Sporting at Alvalade, then set the record for the best first leg (16 wins and a draw). In the winter transfer window he received a renewal from Villas Boas until 2028 and the resources to fuel the title chase, including 2008 Pietuszewski and 41-year-old Thiago Silva, but lost Samu, his best striker, to De Jong at the start of the season. Farioli focused even more on a solid mechanism, frenzied in pressing, athletically overflowing (Porto always ran more than their opponents, in all matches), almost impervious: only 15 goals conceded in 32 matches.
unsustainable pace
—
The only defeat came at the beginning of February, against Casa Pia. And from there many began to invoke the ghosts of the sensational title lost by Farioli last year with Ajax, wasting a 9-point advantage over PSV with 5 games to go, ectoplasm fueled by the draw with Famalicao at the beginning of April. The young Francesco learned from his mistakes, and this time it was the others who were unable to keep up: Sporting collapsed, the still undefeated Benfica never came close. Farioli is champion and will be the only Italian to win a championship this year. And we can assure you, it’s just the beginning.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
