Tiago Silva: Board praised for Farioli renewal, Villas-Boas ≠ Rui Costa | OneFootball

Tiago Silva, a well-known member of FC Porto, fully supports the decision of André Villas-Boas to extend the contract of Francesco Farioli until June 2028. His approval is not only due to the results achieved by the blue and whites in the first half of the 2025/26 season, nor solely because the team is leading the Betclic League standings and is well positioned to reach the round of 16 in the Europa League, nor just because of their (undefeated) performances against their main rivals in the fight for the national title.

“Regardless of the fact that the results are very good, the season is still ongoing and the defined objectives have yet to be achieved. Even so, the renewal of Francesco Farioli should be seen as a clear sign of confidence in the sporting project and in the technical leadership,” begins the CMTV commentator, in a statement to the newspaper Record, then listing the reasons that lead to this “confidence in the technical leadership.”

“Farioli has restored quality, organization, competitive identity, and ambition to the team, has increased the value of squad assets, and has built a solid relationship with the locker room and the fans. That’s why I believe this is a strategic option for stability and continuity,” argues Tiago Silva, showing he is in total harmony with the direction set by the president he helped elect.

“I believe in the path that is being followed, regardless of how the season ends,” reveals the Porto fan, downplaying the calming effect that this renewal of the Italian coach has had among the fans regarding the future.

“More than anything else, it highlights the confidence in the work being done and in how FC Porto has transformed from one year to the next, becoming once again the FC Porto we all aspired to,” confesses the TV commentator, specifying: “An FC Porto capable of fighting for titles.”

The conversation with the Porto lawyer does not end without a little ‘provocation’. Benfica renewed with Roger Schmidt months after the coach arrived at Luz. A year later… he was dismissed. Tiago Silva had a ready answer: “It’s true, but we can’t forget that, from one year to the next, Roger Schmidt lost Enzo Fernández, Gonzalo Ramos, and Grimaldo. That’s why there’s another reason that leads me to reject that kind of comparison. André Villas-Boas is not Rui Costa,” he says, once again leaving the impression that the coach’s continuity is part of a sporting project “in which you can trust.” Something that, in his view, the rival from Luz lacks.

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