Francesco Farioli calls to shield Santiago Gimenez from media pressure

Porto manager Francesco Farioli has publicly backed striker Santiago Gimenez amidst his ongoing goal drought. The Italian coach stated that the player needs to remain inside a "bubble" to isolate himself from the intense media pressure stemming from both Mexico and Portugal.

Farioli emphasized that shielding the 25-year-old from criticism is essential for him to "regain confidence in his qualities." Speaking ahead of the match against Maritimo in the eighth round of the Liga Portugal, the manager addressed the forward's recent dip in form at both club and international levels.

Despite Gimenez's delayed return to the club following international duty with Mexico under Rafa Marquez, Farioli viewed his continued activity with the national team as a positive step. He noted that the striker accumulated valuable minutes in friendly matches that would not have been available at the club level during that period.

Gimenez had more minutes than we would have given him here. It has been positive that he went there to play. Of course, he missed training, but he has time to return, work, have an impact, and help when necessary, starting tomorrow. Francesco Farioli

The forward, currently on loan from AC Milan, is expected to feature in Saturday's clash against Maritimo. The club aims to continue his physical conditioning process and help him improve his goal-scoring record in Portuguese football.