After a bitter season with Ajax, in which he let the title slip to PSV after leading by nine points, Francesco Farioli tasted glory this season by winning the championship with FC Porto.
Even so, the coach of the dominant Dragoẽs fondly remembers his time at the Dutch club.
“If you want my honest opinion, I think I did a better job last season. What I mean is that we didn’t have a trophy to give the fans, but that shouldn’t diminish what we achieved together. Of course, this is my first trophy as a coach, but my greatest accomplishment was last season,” he said.
The Italian also admitted a connection to Amsterdam
“I love the city. My family does too. We love Amsterdam, the club and the people within the club. The board members, the staff and, of course, the players. You know how strong our bond was. How close-knit we were. And, of course, we felt we were so close to giving everyone something truly special. But in the end, it didn’t work out,” he concluded.
After a strong campaign last season, the Amsterdam team, usually dominant in Dutch football, dropped to fifth place and will have to win the Eredivisie play-offs to reach the UEFA Conference League.