Francesco Farioli: I Was Better at Ajax Than Porto

Farioli reflects on Ajax exit and Porto title win in ESPN interview  

The Porto manager discussed his connection to Amsterdam and said he did a better job at Ajax, where he lost a nine-point lead to PSV last season.

After winning the league with Porto, Farioli compared his spells in Portugal and the Netherlands and spoke fondly of his time at Ajax...

Speaking to ESPN, Francesco Farioli said he felt he performed better at Ajax than at FC Porto. The Italian manager also spoke about his continued connection to the Amsterdam club, which he left when last season ended.

Following a difficult campaign with Ajax where he saw a nine-point lead disappear and the title go to PSV, Farioli claimed silverware this season by guiding FC Porto to the league championship.

Despite that success with the dominant Dragoes, the Porto coach still looks back fondly on his time in the Netherlands.

“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 coach also said he still feels connected 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.

Francesco Farioli blikt in exclusief interview terug op 'pijnlijk' afscheid bij Ajax:

"Ik denk dat ik vorig seizoen beter werk heb geleverd dan dit jaar bij FC Porto"

🔗 https://t.co/iyp3W03ZXf pic.twitter.com/Ke77ejtBQt

— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) May 19, 2026

Following a strong season last year, Ajax finished fifth in the Eredivisie despite usually dominating Dutch football. The club now needs to win the play-offs to qualify for the UEFA Conference League.