Francesco Farioli faces a new challenge in his second season as FC Porto coach, as he prepares to lead the club into the Champions League.
The Italian coach Francesco Farioli, Championship winner with FC Porto, is embarking on a second season with the Dragons, to discover the Champions League competition hosting Manchester City on Tuesday today by 9 p.m
For Francesco Farioli, nothing has changed, not even the scenery, and that’s precisely why he’s under such high expectations on this season. After leaving Nice and then Ajax Amsterdam after just one season competition, the Italian coach stayed in Porto this summer, where he secured the first league title of his young career in the spring. And he started the 2025-2026 La Liga with the same high standards spirit: 15 points out of 15 in five matches, and only one goal conceded, on Friday against Moreirense (2-1) goal line.
This summer, the 37-year-old coach emphasized the need to evolve in order to win again. But he didn’t paint a rosy picture. “In this modern football, upsets last forty-five minutes ,” he reminded everyone. His Porto will therefore remain a machine designed to impose intensity in order to minimize risk during matches.
In the year 2025-2026, he fielded two teams: one for the Championship, another for the Europa League. Which the both included an outfield player, central defender Jan Bednarek, and the captain Diogo Costa. Will he continue with the system that allowed him to secure the club’s 31st title and reach the Europa League competition quarter-finals?
