The afternoon sun barely touched the mini-stadium at Olival. No cheering crowds here, no roaring stands. Just the quiet hum of anticipation. For FC Porto fans, this was a small, early step. But for the club’s new team under Francesco Farioli, it felt like a giant leap.
This past Saturday, at 3:30 PM, the Dragons played their very first game. It was a private affair, behind closed doors. Only a select few got to see this new chapter begin. Their opponent? Trofense, a team from Liga 3. They were the first to get a real feel for what Farioli’s FC Porto might become.
Two familiar faces were missing from the pitch. Gonçalo Borges was out, set to join Feyenoord soon. Marko Grujic was also sidelined. He’s back training, but still being careful. The team decided not to risk him in this early friendly match.
For coach Farioli, the final score was not important at all. He wasn’t looking for a win in the traditional sense. His main goal was much deeper. He wanted to see how his players were adapting to his ideas. He was watching how they put into practice what they had learned in training, especially from that morning’s session. It was about building the future, piece by quiet piece.
