FC Porto-Estoril, 4-0 (report)
Vítor Bruno, coach of FC Porto, speaking to Sport TV, after the defeat of Estoril (4-0), in a game in the 10th round of the League:
Another thrashing, the second in a row in the championship. The team returns to not conceding goals, sixth victory in a row. Still, the team wasted some goals. Satisfied?
— It was a fair victory, by clear numbers that, as I said, could have had one or two more goals. Our goal saved zero again, is something that we seek to build more and more in a more solid way, with strong and solid foundations. From 2-0 onwards, we felt the team slowing down a little, but sometimes slowing down is also about calling out the opponent, attracting them, and then discovering spaces further ahead. Sometimes we all get impatient and want the team to always play forward, it’s true that the situation could have been quicker. We started to find it difficult to have our midfielders inside and we would only be able to do so if we played faster across the entire width at first. We talked about it at half-time and increased our speed in the second half, naturally scoring the third and fourth goals. Basically, the most important thing was achieved, a good performance, a solid game. The team feels that it is breathing more and more confidence and that makes me very happy».
The players you pitch to also have an influence on the outcome. Varela came out on yellow, was he feeling conditioned?
«Precisely for this reason, we felt that he was not the real Varela, he was slightly conditioned and always had some handbrake on what his approaches were and top-level football is not sympathetic to these types of approaches. It’s not that Varela doesn’t do this consciously or intentionally, but he could be held back by the yellow room issue. Between having Varela at half gas or having Eustáquio at full gas, we prefer to launch Stephen».
We are in a cycle in which FC Porto is playing every three days. There haven’t been any press conferences scheduled, is it to get more time to spend with the team?
«No, it has nothing to do with that, we launched the same way, we dedicated it in a different space. We didn’t run away from what we did in the next game at the end of the game against Moreirense in the League Cup. It is an option on our part to not be constantly sending out messages in this short period of time, when what is important is that we are very consumed by what is ours and what our daily energy has to be».
From the 11th, Monday, he will be the only coach of the first four who remains in office. Is it an advantage?
«It’s best not to speak too loudly, the president for having some idea and making me also follow my destiny. It’s not an advantage. Bruno Lage is knowledgeable about Benfica, coach Carvalhal is also knowledgeable about Braga and whoever goes to Sporting will also be knowledgeable about what happens in Portuguese football. Therefore, I think we are all on an equal footing».
Two final words, one for Ruben Amorim, the other for Pepê, with the gesture he had in the first half when Pedro Amaral was injured.
«I think it is perhaps the greatest anthem to football that we had here today. I may be criticized for what I’m saying now, but I really like my players to be honest. Honest with themselves, with the opponents and with those watching the game. I think he made the right decision and later on he was rewarded for his gesture».
«In relation to Ruben, he is still here, he will compete, I wish him all the luck in the world, except at the time of the Europa League if we cross paths again. It was a good sign that, later on, we could be at a more advanced stage of the race».
