FC Porto opens title defence against Alverca with Farioli urging 'burn the boats' mentality

Title defence begins

FC Porto will begin defence of their 2025/26 Primeira Liga title on Sunday, 9 August, at 18:00 at the Estádio do Dragão, hosting FC Alverca on the opening day of the 2026/27 season. The match reunites the champions with the same opponent they faced when they clinched the title last season. Coach Francesco Farioli, entering his second campaign, has urged his squad to leave past achievements behind, holding a team meeting on Saturday morning under the theme "burn the boats."

What we did, is done. This morning [Saturday] we burned the boat.

Farioli dismissed suggestions that FC Porto have become a predictable side, arguing that such talk carries "another intention, to make us lose focus." He said that what the team achieved last season "was not by chance" but through "consistency, the ability to show up in important moments."

Pre-season form and squad status

FC Porto opened the current campaign by winning the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, defeating Torreense 1-0 through a Victor Froholdt goal. Before that, the dragons won a presentation match 2-1 against Aston Villa, the current Europa League holders. Six players appear on the club's medical bulletin: Cláudio Ramos, Alberto Costa, Vasco Sousa, André Miranda and Samu remain on restricted training, while Oskar Pietuszewski has a muscle injury in his right thigh. Farioli confirmed only Alberto Costa and Pietuszewski as definite absentees for the Alverca match.

Bednarek has recovered from the right knee injury sustained in the Supertaça and will be available, likely partnering compatriot Kiwior in central defence. Martim Fernandes is expected to start at right back. Summer signing André Silva is the probable choice as striker, with Farioli praising his maturity and noting that the forward has approached coaching staff three or four times after training to ask what he could improve. The coach also spoke about Deniz, saying the striker "does not know how good he can be" and describing his potential as "gigantic."

Transfer market and squad movement

Farioli acknowledged that the squad may still see changes before the transfer window closes on 4 September, describing the market as "a mix of a puzzle and a game of chess." He revealed that two players want to leave, but stressed that neither is Rodrigo Mora, one of the club's most coveted assets alongside Diogo Costa and Froholdt.

I am very honest: I only have one player who came to me to ask to leave. One who came directly to speak with me, and one who I know would like to leave. But neither of them is Rodrigo. I will not talk about individual cases.

The coach estimated that 95% of the squad wants to stay and said that "there is nothing bigger than FC Porto," adding that everyone is aligned, "even that player" who asked to leave. The season carries added significance with the club's return to the Champions League.

Alverca's challenge

FC Alverca finished 11th last season and will begin the new campaign under Sérgio Ferreira, a 38-year-old coach who won the national U-19 championship with FC Porto last year. Ferreira, making his Primeira Liga debut as a head coach, expressed gratitude toward his former club but insisted on his focus on Alverca's ambitions.

We will present ourselves according to what we have worked on, we want to be an organised team, that defends to attack. We will have to be always very well positioned and not allow spaces to FC Porto. Without the ball, we have to have patience so as not to lose our aggressiveness. It is in that sense that we are ready to go to the Dragão.

Farioli praised Alverca as "well organised and with good spirit" and acknowledged the strategic disadvantage of facing a coach familiar with FC Porto's methods, saying "when people from your house become rivals, there is always a small disadvantage."

Looking ahead

Farioli referenced last November, when after losing their first game against Nottingham, articles "already discredited us, spoke of a catastrophe of a team that could not play." He insisted the title was won through consistency and demanded the same standard in the new campaign, saying he is "open to criticism and very demanding." The coach also warned of the natural "pollution" from media and social media pressure that the squad must manage throughout the season.