Still, the Arouca coach, born in Barcelos, guaranteed that the symbolism will not have any impact on the players or on the preparation for Friday's match, which opens the round.

"It has a personal emotional charge only. It does not have one for the team and what matters here is the team, not the coach. Now, it is obvious that I have affection for the people who are there, but it does not go beyond that. I want to win the match, as I want to win all the others", he guaranteed, in a press conference previewing the match.

The Gilistas went through a sequence of four consecutive matches lost, but the entry of Tozé Marreco for the technical command had an immediate impact, with a victory against Moreirense (1-0), and the coach of the 'wolves' admitted increased difficulties.

"The change of coach brought, right from the start, a positive result that they were no longer achieving in the most recent matches. It brought the consolidation of some defensive processes, of some defensive solidity, which seems to me to have been the most obvious in the first match. And it always brings the belief of achieving the goal, which is to remain in the league", he noted.

Although Tiago Esgaio, injured, is the only absence for the match, Arouca has seven more players, in addition to the full-back, one yellow card away from being suspended, something that, however, does not worry Daniel Sousa: "That does not condition us, we have options to fill any absence, whether due to discipline, cards or performance".

In a circumstance in which Rafa Mujica is the third best scorer of the championship, with 20 goals, the possibility of being able to place the Spanish scorer at the top of the competition list is considered by his colleagues, but does not configure a collective goal.

"The team is already trying to help him, that is the reality and we are aware of that, but it can never be a goal of the team itself. The team wants to win points. If we can help Rafa, we will help, but he has clear in his head what is most important. If you ask him, he will say that he prefers to win the three points than to score three goals, I have no doubt", he revealed.

The coach also made a prognosis for the four remaining rounds of the championship, considering that the competitiveness in all the matches will be higher compared to previous years.

"In this final stretch, there are many more teams involved in important goals than in previous years, especially in remaining in the league. At the top of the table, there is already starting to be a greater definition, in the first two. At the bottom of the table, up to almost 10th place, there is a great deal of uncertainty and it also seems clear that the mark of 35 points to remain in the league requires caution", he assessed.

Arouca, sixth classified in the I League, with 44 points, faces Gil Vicente, 12th, with 31, at the Cidade de Barcelos Stadium, starting at 8:15pm on Friday, refereed by Gustavo Correia, from the Porto Football Association.