“No comparison possible”: Froholdt exposes Richard Rios narrative, backs Porto | OneFootball

The Sunday classic was a courtroom. And the verdict was final.

Froholdt versus Richard Rios, on the pitch where it matters most, wasn’t even a debate. It was a demonstration. The Danish midfielder that FC Porto brought in as an alternative to the Colombian was on a completely different level — and that says everything about the quality of the work done at Dragão when the main target slipped away.

The untold story

Vítor Pinto, deputy director of Record, has now revealed what he believes happened behind the scenes: FC Porto was the club most enamored with Richard Rios long before Benfica entered the race. The player’s representatives came to Portugal to meet with Porto, and the conviction was total — Rios was the right player, and the club was willing to go beyond the norm to sign him. Sporting was never involved in the process. Benfica wasn’t either — until the Club World Cup changed everything.

Rios’s performance in the competition sparked the interest of half of Europe, and Benfica, led by Rui Costa, entered the race unexpectedly and went far beyond what would be expected from a Portuguese club. FC Porto lost the player due to something beyond their control.

So, who won in the end?

Vítor Pinto — admittedly the biggest “Rios fan” around, the one who at the start of the season said that any team signing Richard Rios would be a title contender, but now seems to have changed his mind.

“Froholdt brings a depth to the game, has an impact on the match, that I doubt Richard Rios could have reached here.”

It’s a significant admission, coming from the person who believed in the Colombian the most. Because Froholdt isn’t just a top-level midfielder — he’s a player who, under Farioli, has found the perfect team and system to make him shine.

The market will speak

And there’s another dimension: an elite Danish player naturally has the doors to the Premier League open. FC Porto not only made a better signing than it seemed at the time — they may be increasing the value of an asset that, before long, will be worth much more than what was paid.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.