The Golden Boy Award: “Managing talent is complicated, but the most important thing is that this talent exists. Other characteristics are also necessary in young players, so it is essential that we work between the final phase of training and the beginning of the competition. Some are successful, others are not. Sometimes, technique is not the only aspect to take into account, but also mentality, the ability to understand that being a football player is a challenging task and that, every year, there are more games to play, with more intensity, aggression and speed. It is essential to have this understanding, as this is the only way to reach the top. We, coaches, must strive not to limit them in technical terms and provide them with other qualities.”
The example of Luis Díaz at FC Porto: “There were many that brought me satisfaction. Luis Díaz, for example, who joined FC Porto from a small Colombian club and, after a year and a half, transferred to Liverpool, continuing his journey. There are many players who cannot achieve that success, sometimes it only takes small changes to get them on the right path.”
Francisco Conceição was sent off against Cagliari and will not play against Juventus-Lazio: “As a football fan, it is always a great pleasure to watch these big games. It would be interesting to see Francisco facing a team that is very dear to me and from which I have already had many triumphs. Either way, it will be a great meeting.”
Francisco Conceição’s moment: “He started well at Juventus. He’s effective one-on-one, he’s technically strong and I already knew he could adapt well in Italy. However, you need to add other qualities: you must be humble, listen to the coach and teammates, and ask yourself what you can do to become stronger. Every day he must strive to improve, and in that aspect, he knows what he must do.”
