In an interview with ESPN, Francesco Farioli admitted that he felt he did a better job during his time at Ajax than in his current spell at FC Porto. The Italian coach also acknowledged his strong connection to the Amsterdam club, which he left at the end of last season.

Despite enduring a painful campaign with Ajax, where they surrendered the title to PSV after holding a nine-point lead, Farioli has since gone on to enjoy success by winning the championship with FC Porto this season.

However, the Porto boss still looks back fondly on his experience in the Netherlands.

“If you want my honest opinion, I think I did a better job last season,” he said. “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.”

The Italian coach also spoke warmly about his strong connection to Amsterdam and Ajax.

“I love the city. My family does too. We love Amsterdam, the club and everyone within it — the board members, the staff and, of course, the players,” he said. “You know how strong our bond was, how close-knit we were. We felt we were very close to giving everyone something truly special, but in the end, it didn’t work out.”

Following a strong campaign the previous season, Ajax — traditionally one of the dominant forces in Dutch football — have since slipped to fifth place. As a result, they now face the challenge of navigating the Eredivisie play-offs in order to secure qualification for the UEFA Conference League.