André Villas-Boas: “We'll keep this night in our hearts forever” | OneFootball

André Villas-Boas arrived at City Hall with the city still buzzing and turned the celebration of FC Porto’s national title into a speech of gratitude, memory, and belonging. Between praising the reception in Porto, recognizing the work of the players and club structure, and openly thanking the fan base, the president placed the night among those rare occasions. In the middle of the celebrations, he summed it all up with a heartfelt promise: “we will carry this night forever in our hearts.”

After the journey to Porto City Hall and now in front of the fans on the balcony, André Villas-Boas delivered a message aimed at several audiences, but with one central idea: the title was experienced as a collective achievement and a celebration of identity. The FC Porto president spoke with the symbolic weight of a triumph that had just been confirmed and in the tone of someone who wanted to share the spotlight with those who were on and off the pitch.

His first thanks went to the city and the way it welcomed the champions. Villas-Boas made the scale of the celebrations one of the strongest signs of the night and linked the journey from the Estádio do Dragão to City Hall to an emotion that, in his view, will remain attached to the club’s recent history.

“I want to begin by thanking you for the reception here at City Hall in the city of Porto and to thank everyone involved in organizing this magnificent event. I think what we saw today was probably the biggest celebration ever of an FC Porto title,” he said. “It was a unique emotion to experience so much joy from the people from the moment we left the Estádio do Dragão for Ribeira until we arrived here at your home. It has been an enormous joy for all Porto supporters, and it is a night that will be remembered forever. So I want to thank the organization of this event, this reception, and also thank your councillors, all the people who work with you for this magnificent organization, and then this unique group of players.”

More than an institutional formality, the moment took on the rhythm of a public consecration. In the president’s reading, the setting of the celebration was not just scenery: it was part of the very meaning of the triumph, immediately extended into the dressing room.

When speaking about the team, Villas-Boas placed Francesco Farioli at the center of the transformation and extended his thanks to the entire club structure. The tone was one of internal recognition, with the conviction that the title rests on accumulated work and shared effort.

“They gave us so much joy this year, led by coach Francesco Farioli, a person who transformed each and every one of them. On behalf of the FC Porto board, I am very grateful for this 31st title, because it was achieved through your sweat and effort, and it is a source of pride for us, FC Porto, to win this title again,” he stressed. “To finish, because the night is still going to be long, I would like to thank my Board and the FC Porto management, as well as everyone who works every day at the Club, of course. I would like to mark this moment by calling coach Farioli and Diogo, our captain, to present the mayor, whom we know is a Porto supporter and a Champion, with a medal from this triumph and a commemorative shirt that I hope he will keep in his wonderful Museum.”

There is an idea here of a complete collective effort: players, coach, board, management, and staff all appear united in the same gesture of celebration. Villas-Boas did not speak of an isolated title, but of an achievement shared by many hands, before definitively turning his speech toward the club’s widest stand.

In the final stretch, the message was addressed directly to the fans. The president praised the support received throughout the journey, highlighted the growth of the membership base, and left a note of remembrance when referring to Jorge Costa.

“Good evening, Porto supporters. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support and for all the growth we have been seeing in FC Porto’s membership base. You were unique in helping us win this title,” he assured. “FC Porto came back thanks to a unique team, with a unique winning spirit, and we thank from the heart those players, our coach Francesco Farioli, the FC Porto Board and management, and Jorge Costa, whom we will never forget. Thank you from the heart for this wonderful night. Since we left the Dragão, we have experienced so much Porto joy, and we will carry this night forever in our hearts. Thank you all. Long live FC Porto!”

That was how the night closed in speech, without really ending: with the club thanking itself through its people. Between the collective exaltation, the praise for the group, and the promise of lasting memory, Villas-Boas fixed the celebration in the place where victories always seek to survive — the hearts of those who live them.

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