Rúben Micael, former attacking midfielder, winner of two Portuguese Cups with FC Porto, underlines the qualities of the Brazilian winger.
He played for FC Porto and Braga, but it was at FC Porto that he won two Portuguese Cups. Is it special to climb those Jamor stairs?
– It’s always special when we win, especially for those who are Portuguese and have dreamed of climbing the stairs since childhood. Unfortunately, I didn’t win for Braga, but the taste would be the same if it had happened.
For FC Porto, is it of special importance to win the Portuguese Cup, to add to the Super Cup and League Cup, since the championship has fled?
– It will not be the Taça de Portugal that will save FC Porto’s season, but FC Porto had a good season, because it won the Taça da Liga, the Supertaça, was eliminated in the same way as it was in the Champions League and, who knows, if he couldn’t have gone to the final, and fought for the title until the last day. Portistas have to be proud. I know that in a club like FC Porto, not winning the championship is immediately considered a bad year but, looking at the squads, I think that Benfica had a more balanced team.
What game do you expect between a Braga that didn’t lose at home, against the big ones, but was fragile away and an FC Porto usually strong in finals?
– It will be a well-played game. Sérgio is not a coach who withdraws in finals, his teams put a lot of pressure on from the start, while on the other side we see Braga playing beautiful and well-trained football. If the pitch is in good condition, it has everything to be an open game with opportunities for both sides.
He also won a League Cup final against FC Porto, with Braga, and Braga have won their last three finals against FC Porto. Can this weigh?
-Each game has its story. I also beat Braga in the Europa League final, then we beat a super team from FC Porto, in the League Cup. It’s a cliché to say this, but it’s the details that make the difference. As President Pinto da Costa says, the finals are not for playing, they are for winning.
Which player do you bet on to decide the final?
– In Braga, clearly Ricardo Horta. He’s doing really well again and could make a difference, although in these games sometimes players decide they don’t play that much. At FC Porto, Taremi is always a danger and I also believe in Galeno. If it’s a good day, break all that. He has some unusual abilities. If the first two or three moves go well for him, he’ll be off balance.
How do you feel on the eve of this final?
– The day before, all or almost all players were calm. After lunch on the day of the final, you start to feel a little nervous in your stomach, which is good, because it makes you more alert. When the game starts, everything passes.
Does Sérgio Conceição’s experience in finals against newcomer Artur Jorge, as a coach, have anything to do with it?
– It might help, but it won’t make a difference. You can train a series of situations and in the first move of the game there is an expulsion, or someone is distracted or a less positive move and ends up scoring and, then, everything you trained is over.
Will you see the final?
I will, obviously.
2023-06-04 06:46:00
#Galeno #good #day #leave
