Porto Coach Sergio Conceicao Hits Back at Arteta’s Criticism of Tactics
Porto head coach Sergio Conceicao has responded to Mikel Arteta’s claims that his team had “no intention of playing” during Arsenal’s Champions League defeat. Conceicao dismissed Arteta’s suggestion, stating that both teams wanted to play and win the game.
Arsenal suffered a 1-0 defeat to Porto, with Galeno capitalizing on a loose pass from Gabriel Martinelli to score a fine curled effort from outside the box. This loss marked the first time since 2011 that Arsenal failed to register a shot on target in the Champions League.
Arteta commented on Porto’s tactics after the match, stating that his team is accustomed to playing against defensive blocks but lacked certain things in the first half. He mentioned that Arsenal would learn from their mistakes and improve in the return game. Despite the defeat, Arteta praised his team’s attitude, saying they wanted to play and did not lack aggression.
In response to Arteta’s assessment, Conceicao expressed his opinion that possession of the ball does not guarantee victory. He mentioned that Arteta comes from the Pep Guardiola school of coaching, where possession is valued, but it depends on the team and the performers they have. Conceicao stated that having 40%-60% possession is not a scandal and that he wouldn’t mind having 30%-70% possession if it resulted in a victory. He emphasized that success depends on what a team does with the ball within their strategy to score goals.
The clash between Porto and Arsenal highlighted the differences in tactical approaches between Arteta and Conceicao. While Arteta favors possession-based football, Conceicao believes in adapting tactics according to the team’s strengths and the strategy defined to score goals.
Overall, both coaches have differing opinions on the game’s tactics. While Arteta felt Porto were defensive and lacked intention to play, Conceicao argued that possession does not guarantee victory and it depends on how a team utilizes the ball within their strategy. The clash of these contrasting philosophies made for an intriguing Champions League encounter.