Francesco Farioli set to be appointed new Porto coach | OneFootball

FC Porto have not yet officially terminated the contract of Martín Anselmi, but while the legal wrangling goes on between the club and the sacked Argentinian coach regarding the compensation package, the Dragons have wasted little time in choosing his successor.

Italian Francesco Farioli, the former Nice and Ajax manager, will sign a two-year contract at the Estádio do Dragão.

Farioli, like Anselmi, is a young coach who has quickly built a solid reputation, but as a European who has worked in three of the continent’s leagues, the 36-year-old should find it easier to adapt to his new environs than the South American did. Anselmi lasted just six months in Portugal.

Francesco Farioli began his coaching career in Turkey before being appointed as Nice coach in June 2023, where he guided the Ligue 1 team to a 5th-place finish and qualification for the Europa League.

The job he did in France earned him a move to Dutch giants Ajax last summer, as he became the first foreign coach appointed at the Amsterdam club this century.

And for a long time he looked set to bring the championship title back to Ajax, but a late-season collapse allowed PSV to snatch the league on the last day by a single point, and Farioli was let go.

Farioli is known for playing a possession-based game with aggressive pressing and building defensively solid teams.