The Associação Desportiva de Fafe is the big sensation of the Portuguese Cup in 2025/26. They are the only League 3 club in the quarter-finals of the premier competition (where they are for the fifth time) and, in the classic Wednesday at Dragão, hosts Sp. Braga (6:45 pm) in a duel from Minho that will have a full house at Municipal de Fafe, in an attempt to reach the semi-finals for the third time. Mário Ferreira, 30 years old, is one of the youngest coaches in the national championships and leads a team that has a decisive January for the main objective of the season: going to the promotion phase of League 3. However, there is also an ambition to continue making history in the Cup. It was precisely with Mário Ferreira's debut that the team recorded their first victory of the season and began their successful journey in the competition: 1-0 in the visit to Oriental, the same result achieved in Évora against Lusitano, after defeating Moreirense (1-0) and Arouca (2-1) in Fafe. Interview More football to Mário Ferreira, who in this Part II talks, among other connections, about the relationship he has with Bruno Fernandes, with whom he was a schoolmate and with whom he usually does individual preparation work in the pre-season. Maisfutebol - In a recent interview with Canal 11, about saying that he follows Liga 3, Bruno Fernandes spoke of having been with you at school and that “he is doing an incredible job at Fafe and the Cup”… do you have a relationship with him? Mário Ferreira (MF) – Yes, yes... Bruno is a close person, every year I'm with Bruno and talk to him, we exchange messages weekly, he's been a close person since childhood and it's always good to hear a Portuguese international, one of the best players in the world, talk about Liga 3 and talk about Fafe. It's positive and I believe what he says is true, because Bruno is a humble person, he likes to watch these types of games, he is very interested in secondary championships, both II Liga and Liga 3 and others and it feels good to hear these types of comments. How did this relationship with him come about? When did you cross paths at school together? MF – From the fifth to the ninth grade we were always in the same class. A very close relationship. We both liked to play football. Bruno trained at Boavista, I trained at Leixões. During breaks we played football, it was always a close relationship because we had the same passion, the same taste. Then life separated us a little for a few years, but we always kept in touch. What school did you go to together? MF – In Gueifães, Maia. We are both from Maia… Any stories you have with him that stand out? MF – Bruno was always focused on training and the game. I remember stories with him perfectly and there was a situation, after the phase where we were in the same class. Bruno was, I think, at Fontes Pereira de Melo, in Boavista. And I was in Carolina Michaelis. We crossed paths once on the subway, at Fórum Maia and I distinctly remember asking him: “So, is school going well?” And he said: “I’m focused on football.” And we were in the 10th year. My focus was to reach the 12th year with a good average and Bruno's focus was to focus on football and the truth is that he was right. It's a story that I still remember, a quick five-minute conversation, but today I look at that conversation and, in Bruno's head, what he said made perfect sense. And today I also look at the way I said it to you and what I said also made sense. In addition to Bruno, perhaps more famous, he played for several years with Chiquinho and André Pereira in the formation of Leixões… MF – Exactly. I'm often with André Pereira, he's my children's godfather. I have close contact, even from home. He is someone who also had his peak, especially at FC Porto. His career ended due to injury, but I maintain a close relationship.