Estádio Luís Filipe de Menezes

The ground sits tucked inside the training complex. It is not a destination in itself. The pitch is natural grass.

The complex itself has a history of changes. It opened in 2002 under a contract with the city council, and though the training centre has since been renamed after Jorge Costa, the stadium keeps the name of the former mayor, Luís Filipe de Menezes. It is a small place, built for 3,800. The stands sit close, and the players can hear the shouts from the touchline without difficulty.

It is a working stadium. There are no pitch heaters or fancy installations, just the grass and the concrete. FC Porto B and the women's team play here, using it to sharpen their edge before stepping onto the bigger stages. The crowd is never large, but those who come know the team well. The matches are played in the Liga Portugal 2 and the Campeonato Nacional Feminino, where the stakes are different from the top flight. One mistake ends it here just as much as anywhere else, but the pressure is contained within these walls.

The address is Rua dos Pardieiros, a street that leads straight to the turnstiles. Nothing else marks the place except the banners and the occasional fan waiting by the gate. It is not a temple of football, but it is a place where the work is done. The games are played out on the grass, and the result is what it is. No one comes here to see a spectacle, but the players who have been frozen out in the big team often find their rhythm here.