Rubens Júnior and Edmilson hail Pepê: “Vital for FC Porto” | OneFootball

Pepê has been one of the standout players at the start of the new season for FC Porto. After a 2024/25 season to forget, the 28-year-old Brazilian winger seems to have rediscovered his best form under the guidance of Francesco Farioli, already scoring two goals in two games. The player's recovery has pleased Porto fans and also drawn praise from compatriots such as Rubens Júnior and Edmilson Pimenta, who support the athlete's "new life."

In exclusive statements to the Portal dos Dragões website, both Rubens and Edmilson emphasize that Pepê has always had the quality to be “fundamental” at FC Porto and applaud the way the Dragons’ number 11 turned around a period when he was even close to leaving the club.

“It’s not a big surprise [Pepê’s performance]. He’s a great player, as he proved here in Brazil at Grêmio, and I was even surprised by the news that he might be leaving FC Porto. Players need a coach who supports them. With the coach’s support, the player will start to perform, and now he’s already performing,” says Edmilson, a view shared by Rubens Júnior.

“At no point was Pepê at the end of his cycle at FC Porto. A player of Pepê’s level can go through a tough time. Players need to be patient and wait for the right moment to return to good football. That’s what happened with Pepê. He also went through a bad collective phase. When the team isn’t doing well, the players might not perform at their best either. The important thing is that he recovered and is doing well again,” points out the former left-back.

The role of Farioli

After a troubled relationship with Vítor Bruno, a coach with whom he even exchanged public messages, Pepê has been one of the main beneficiaries of the change in FC Porto’s technical leadership. He was also far from his best under Martín Anselmi, but the arrival in July of Francesco Farioli seems to have been decisive for the Brazilian international’s return to form.

“Pepê’s qualities are there. He didn’t forget how to play. He was always a starter with Sérgio Conceição and now Farioli is giving him confidence and supporting him. He’s betting on him, and the player sees that positively. He realizes the coach is supporting him, and he will certainly perform even better. This start with two goals in two games… I think he can do even more,” highlights Edmilson, who also emphasizes Pepê’s “great character.”

“I don’t know if Pepê had any off-field problems or if he had a specific issue with Vítor Bruno. It’s important to understand why he went through this rough patch. He admitted it. And by admitting it, he proves he’s a great player and has great character,” praises the former Brazilian forward, who scored 30 goals in 85 games wearing the FC Porto shirt.

Rubens Júnior also values the change brought by Farioli and points out that the negative period served Pepê as a time to reflect and correct aspects that were affecting his performance.

“I think a difficult moment helps not only players but anyone to grow. It makes us reflect, correct some habits, and look for something different. The player has to be irreverent, seek something new, and reinvent himself. This kind of period serves to reflect and recognize that something isn’t right. The key factor for Pepê, which helped him return to his best football, was recognizing he wasn’t doing well and not clinging to excuses. Sometimes, players try to lean on something to justify a bad moment. He acknowledged he wasn’t at his best. That shows he’s mature and willing to change the cycle, which is what happened,” stresses the former player who also wore the Vitória SC shirt in Portugal.

‘New FC Porto’ excites

Rubens Júnior relates FC Porto’s collective improvement to Pepê’s increased productivity and considers the Brazilian to play a central role in the team’s dynamics.

“When I talk about Pepê, and I’ve already told him this, I say that when he’s doing well, FC Porto’s team tends to perform better. He’s a key piece in any coach’s system. He’s a very important player. He brings a different dynamic: creative, strong in one-on-one situations, attacks depth well, knows how to carry the ball, and manages the game well. If he plays well, the team will play well. He has that greater responsibility,” he says.

Edmilson is also excited about this ‘new FC Porto’ and admits he didn’t like the image the team left at the Club World Cup, when it was still managed by the Argentine Martín Anselmi.

“We can definitely talk about an FC Porto that’s a title contender. FC Porto with this new coach has a different look. I closely followed FC Porto’s games at the [Club] World Cup and unfortunately that team wasn’t FC Porto as we know it. Unfortunately, I have to tell the truth. Now, with Farioli, things are coming together and I’m sure this season FC Porto will fight for the title. As happens every year, FC Porto has to be a contender,” concludes the former Brazilian winger, who also played with distinction for rivals Sporting.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.