Non-league to Champions League: The Porto boss out to stun Man City
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Francesco Farioli, Porto's 37-year-old head coach, took charge of his first Champions League match as a manager as his side hosted Manchester City at the Estadio do Dragao on Tuesday. Farioli, who led Porto to the Portuguese title last season, had turned down interest from Chelsea, Liverpool and Rangers to extend his contract, citing a strong bond with club president Andre Villas-Boas and a shared ambition to build something special after Porto's third-place finish the previous season. The fixture served as a significant early test of whether his rapid rise through management could translate into results against elite European opposition.
His route to the top has been unconventional: a former non-league goalkeeper in Italy, he was brought into coaching by Roberto de Zerbi at Benevento in 2017, before managerial spells in Turkey with Fatih Karagumruk and Alanyaspor, then at Nice and Ajax, where his teams built a reputation for possession-based, high-pressing football with strong defensive records. Porto arrived at the match having won five out of five league games so far this season, conceding just one goal, and having lifted the Portuguese Super Cup last month, giving Farioli reason for confidence against Enzo Maresca's City side despite the gulf in status between the two clubs.
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In short
- Farioli led Porto against Man City in his first Champions League game as boss.
- He rejected Chelsea, Liverpool and Rangers to stay at Porto.
- Porto started the season with five straight league wins, conceding once.
How this story developed
- 2 months ago Francesco Farioli, Porto's 37-year-old head coach, prepares for his first Champions League match in charge when his side host Manchester City at the Estadio do Dragao on Tuesday.
- 2 months ago Francesco Farioli, Porto's 37-year-old head coach, will take charge of his first Champions League match as a manager when his side host Manchester City at the Estadio do Dragao on Tuesday.
- 2 months ago Francesco Farioli, Porto's 37-year-old head coach, took charge of his first Champions League match as a manager as his side hosted Manchester City at the Estadio do Dragao on Tuesday.
Where outlets differ
Left-leaning outlets 1
- Porto v Manchester City: Champions League – liveThe Guardian
Only here: manchester
Centre outlets 1
Only here: boss, stun
Every side used: porto, city, champions, league
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Explained simply
Farioli's Porto host Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday at the Estadio do Dragao, the Italian coach's first game in charge in the competition. At 37, he has risen quickly through the game and turned down interest from several bigger clubs to stay at Porto, where he won the league title last season.
Farioli's background is unusual for a top-level coach: he was a non-league goalkeeper in Italy before being brought into coaching by Roberto de Zerbi, and went on to manage in Turkey before taking charge of Nice and then Ajax, building a reputation for attacking, high-pressing football. Porto themselves have a strong European pedigree, having won the Champions League in 2004, and this season's meeting with City is seen as an early test of whether Farioli's methods can succeed against one of the continent's leading clubs.
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