André Villas-Boas: “133 years of history, emotion, impact on lives” | OneFootball

André Villas-Boas spoke in his capacity as FC Porto president on the day the club marked 133 years of history. Between recalling the past and looking at the present, he highlighted the dragons’ impact on fans’ lives, assessed the team’s start to the season, and responded to the controversy surrounding the Clássico. On the meaning of the date, he summed it up: “It’s 133 years of history, many emotions, an impact on people’s lives in a very special way.”

At a moment marked by the celebration of the blue-and-white identity, André Villas-Boas brought together memory, club spirit, and sporting current affairs. The central message was one of recognition for the path traveled, but also of caution in the face of the challenges ahead and unity around the team.

Marking the anniversary, the president began by recalling key figures in FC Porto’s history and the club’s transformation. He then broadened the tribute to the different sports, the idols, and the relationship between Porto fans, the emblem, and the city.

“We must give thanks to this club, first and foremost to Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa for the radical transformation of this club into a winning, unique, and singular club, but also, of course, to Monteiro da Costa and Nicolau d’Almeida as the great founders of Futebol Clube do Porto. It’s 133 years of history, many emotions, an impact on people’s lives in a very special way,” he said. “Many of us live and wake up with memories of Futebol Clube do Porto, of our idols, of our players… football players, from the different sports, sports that have even been lost over time, but which mean a great deal to so many people. So there is here a united body of different stories that mean so much to so many people in their daily lives, in the way they live the club, in the way they live the city, in this umbilical relationship that exists between Futebol Clube do Porto, its members, its associates, and its whole history.”

The tribute was not limited to trophies or football. Villas-Boas presented FC Porto’s history as a sum of personal and collective memories, deeply tied to the everyday lives of the fans and to the city itself.

From the weight of history, the president moved on to the team’s current moment. He acknowledged the value of seven wins in the first seven matchdays and of the victory in the Clássico, but refused to treat the strong start as any guarantee for what still remains to be played.

“FC Porto’s start and victory in the Clássico? Yes, all very positive. It’s still a very early stage of the league campaign, so seven matchdays, seven wins. A more complicated period now begins, with Champions League matches and two away trips,” he assessed. “Then there is a break that is also different from previous years, so a new FIFA break with all the added difficulties that come with the players being away for such a prolonged period. I think what we want most is precisely to avoid injuries, for the players to return and to return at the peak of their abilities. So these are all new tests that almost require new starts when the players return. So everything is very delicate at this stage, a good start, confidence, it gives confidence to the team, I think that is also clear: a team that is united around the coach, that knows his method, that has performed on the pitch, and we want that to continue for much longer.”

The speech combined confidence and caution. The positive start strengthens the team, but the away trips, the international break, and the players’ return are seen as tests that could require a fresh competitive push.

The controversy that followed the Clássico was met with a calm, though firm, reading. Villas-Boas framed the reactions as frustration caused by defeat and recalled the significance an FC Porto-Benfica clash carries in Portuguese football.

“Controversy in the Clássico? Yes, I think these are natural frustrations. The first came immediately after the end of the match, with the press conferences and with the disappointment that losing a Portuguese football classic brings for some. Then there is the three-week break and, naturally, Futebol Clube do Porto-Benfica, as the biggest match in the Portuguese league, has that impact on people’s lives as we mentioned earlier,” he explained. “People reflect on the clássico, on what happened, on the different perspectives, each person’s perspective, and some savor the victories, others savor the defeat. For Futebol Clube do Porto it is a moment of focus and unity, nothing has been decided and we have to continue showing our ability in the matches ahead.”

Instead of prolonging the discussion, the president sought to refocus the debate on what is still to be decided. The watchword was unity, with performances in the upcoming matches presented as the response that truly matters.

The connection with the fans also came up in his approach to the anniversary celebrations. Villas-Boas explained his intention to bring the Dragões de Ouro closer to the festive date, turning the two moments into a joint tribute to the club and to those who serve it.

“Fans and the club’s anniversary? Well, we are clearly trying to bring the club’s anniversary together with the Dragões de Ouro. This year, the closest date we managed, because of the international break, was October 7. However, that is one of the promises I want to keep, because I think Dragões de Ouro crowned by the club’s anniversary would also be something special and unique for the fans,” he stressed. “We would honor all the people who helped us in the previous sporting season and would also celebrate the club’s anniversary in an even more worthy way. So that is an aim we want to fine-tune, to thank these people who are here, among children, men, women, a great deal of Porto dignity, with club spirit present. Club Day took place this weekend, so that is another of the things we are also trying to do.”

The proposal seeks to concentrate recognition and celebration into the same occasion. At its center is the desire to give greater expression to the anniversary and to value club spirit, involving different generations of Porto fans.

Finally, the president responded to the incident involving Samu and Bah and rejected the possibility that it justified a sending-off. He was also critical of the disciplinary consequences of the episode, interpreting the debate as an attempt to put pressure on FC Porto’s players.

“Incident between Samu and Bah? Maybe VAR didn’t have the images to properly analyze the little pat Samu gave Bah, and it would have made little difference because it certainly would not have been a sending-off,” he said. “It is an attempt to put pressure on FC Porto’s players for the future and it will lead nowhere, it will be a waste of time for the Disciplinary Council. Obviously, FC Porto will present its defense.”

The stance left little room for ambiguity: Villas-Boas downplayed the seriousness of the incident, challenged the interpretation made around the episode, and assured that the club will respond through the proper channels.

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