FC Porto women shine in England, Villas-Boas: “Exceeded expectations” | OneFootball

Founded just a year ago, the women’s team of FC Porto is very close to securing promotion to the First Division, in a meteoric rise that began in the third tier. The Porto side leads the northern group of the Second Division with a two-point advantage and a game in hand, having kept a clean sheet throughout the league, which puts them in a privileged position for direct promotion.

This performance prompted a feature by the British newspaper The Guardian, which interviewed André Villas-Boas, president of FC Porto, and José Manuel Ferreira, director of the women’s football department.

The project is based on a vision of gender equality championed by Villas-Boas. “Our long-term ambition for FC Porto women was to provide equal opportunities and promote genuine gender equality in sport within the club,” said the Porto leader to The Guardian.

The responsibility was given to José Manuel Ferreira, who highlights the recruitment policy as the foundation of their success, prioritizing athletes with a strong connection to the club. “When we were recruiting our first players, our goal was to reach young players,” Ferreira revealed. “We had 15-year-old players playing in the first team and we wanted players who had some connection with the club, who knew FC Porto, what the club represents, and what it means to play for FC Porto.”

With promotion virtually guaranteed, the short- and medium-term goals are ambitious: to compete for the title against rivals such as Benfica and Sporting, as well as to participate in European competitions. André Villas-Boas expressed pride in the team’s journey.

“Our goal was to reach the First Division as quickly as possible. The team has far exceeded our expectations this season by reaching the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup, with hopes of going all the way. The pride the girls have in wearing the FC Porto shirt and the winning mentality the players have shown are unmatched. They deserve a lot of credit, as does José for building this project and helping to drive it forward.”

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