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Confirmed the classification for the knockout stages of the Champions League, after a goalless draw with Manchester City, FC Porto regretted, through the Dragões Diário newsletter, Pep Guardiola’s “bad mood” at the end of the match and recalled ” the “England match” scandal, where the Blue and Whites lost 1-3: “They should be grateful for the luck they had with refereeing again.
The criticisms extend to “an important part of the Lisbon press” and also to Bernardo Silva, “known internationally for having been convicted of racism.”
Read the full text published in Dragões Diário:
“It is common news at this time of year, but it still deserves all the prominence: FC Porto qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League and are officially one of the 16 best teams in Europe. He did it when he still had a match left to play in the group stage, thanks to a 0-0 draw against Manchester City at Estádio do Dragão.
In the end, Sérgio Conceição assumed that he “wanted victory”, but acknowledged that he was also “satisfied with the draw” – in the end, a point against the most expensive squad in the world was all that FC Porto needed to achieve one of the time goals. The coach praised the “organization” and the “merit” of the team and also commented on Pep Guardiola’s bad disposition after the match: “I would also be angry if I couldn’t win with the team he has and the budget he has.” .
In fact, the Manchester City coach and players, who also struggled to cope with the result, should even be grateful for how lucky they were with refereeing again. After the scandals of the England game, this time he missed a penalty for the more than evident lack of Ederson on Otávio, in addition to the expulsion of Fernandinho, who since he was 35 years old is a clear example that the money of football counts a lot, but does not buy class or notion.
One of the figures highlighted by the positive was Marchesín, who played a set of good defenses and nevertheless stressed that he was “happy for the team”, having achieved “the most important” against “a powerful football”. Diogo Leite, Uribe and Evanilson also underlined the success of qualifying for the round of 16 and guaranteed that the group does not want to stop here. Now they are going to “work for more goals in the Champions League,” said the Brazilian forward.
FC Porto’s success in the world’s toughest soccer competition is far from new, but it cannot be diminished or trivialized. There is a fact that is like cotton and that was even highlighted by Sérgio Conceição, usually contrary to the statistics. Yesterday they secured their 16th place in the Blue and Whites in 24 group stage appearances, a record that is more than double the total of other Portuguese teams: Benfica hit them five times, Boavista once, Sporting another.
If we look only at the more recent past, this is FC Porto’s third standings in three appearances with Sérgio Conceição as coach. He is fourth in the last four Champions League appearances, fifth in the last six. These numbers are unparalleled in Portuguese football and put FC Porto at a level far above the rest. It is one thing to participate in European competitions and another to be a European club. In Portugal there is only one.
In case there is any doubt, the disdain with which a significant part of the Lisbon press treat FC Porto is in itself a testament to our success, which is always so uncomfortable. Although yesterday’s game was tied, a television channel managed to find a way to say that the national champions were “beaten.” And hours before the meeting, another station decided to launch a hobby (or a provocation?) To offer a shirt to an opponent of ours who is known internationally for having been convicted of racism. At night, there they had to face the reality that they do not like. It was not only Pep Guardiola and Fernandinho who were wrong … »
