Mário Figueiredo blasts Villas-Boas over Sporting pact: backroom game | OneFootball

André Villas-Boas has been persistent in pushing the narrative that Sporting and Benfica have formed an alliance against Porto. After the derby at the Dragão, between Porto and Benfica, which ended in major controversy, this rhetoric intensified and was addressed by the president of the blue-and-whites at the Portugal Football Summit 2026.

This Thursday, on Mercado NOW, Mário Figueiredo analyzed André Villas-Boas’s communication strategy - which has been targeting the president of the Lions. “I honestly can’t see any holy alliance between Benfica and Sporting. What’s more, I can’t picture Frederico Varandas having lunch, for example, with Rui Costa or vice versa. Last year it was the green cloak and, in the end, what did Sporting win? Nothing. Now there’s a brown cloak and what are the two of them winning? Nothing. Porto are the ones who keep moving forward.”

“He keeps riding a wave that gives him a five-point lead over Benfica and six over Sporting. Porto are top of the table, came out of the derby in a comfortable position and, above all, they are still exactly how they like to be. Seven matches, seven wins, unbeaten. They continue to look very healthy and the President understands that this backstage game is what interests him,” he commented.

However, he believes this strategy is intended to hand “the Dragons’ supporters a certificate of incompetence. Anyone who thinks that Sporting and Benfica could currently be united for anything is very mistaken. That possibility does not exist, especially because both clubs have been going through some moments of confusion and friction.”

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