Villas-Boas: “Boavista’s loss is a wound to the city of Porto” | OneFootball

During the thank-you speech for the tribute paid to him by the FC Porto City Council this Wednesday, André Villas-Boas commented on Boavista’s dramatic situation, as the club will be forced to shut down after failing to meet its payments. “The loss of activity of a century-old institution in the city is no one’s victory. It is a wound to the sporting and social heritage of the city of Porto,” he began by saying.

The FC Porto president also criticized those who, in his view, reduce historic clubs to mere financial assets. “It is also a warning about adventurers, local political interests and wrongdoers who continue to treat century-old institutions as disposable assets, forgetting that clubs belong to History, to communities and to people,” he said.

Villas-Boas said that the city cannot remain indifferent to Boavista’s situation and stressed that safeguarding historic clubs also means preserving their social role. “Defending clubs is defending memory and children’s access to sport,” he added. The checkered club sees its future threatened by accumulated debts of more than 100 million euros.

For his part, FC Porto City Council president Pedro Duarte expressed the municipality’s willingness to work with Boavista, namely by making spaces available. “We are supporting Boavista, working with Boavista’s board to try to ensure that these sports and those spaces are maintained. Other clubs in the city have shown great solidarity and a willingness to help. That is the bridge the City Council has offered to build,” he said, referring to the club’s historic journey.

“In a few days it will mark 122 years of existence. It truly has a history that has left its mark on the city of Porto. We are concerned, available and interested in supporting the club’s members so that we can find a sustainable solution for the club’s future. It is not up to the City Council to replace the members, but from the moment Boavista’s members present a plan, a desire, a direction to save the club, FC Porto City Council is available to help and build a future as strong as the 122 years that have passed,” he said.

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