Mário Santos: “He’s the right man to build a competitive team” | OneFootball

FC Porto is moving forward with the creation of a senior futsal team, a project that Mário Santos acknowledges is demanding and carries great responsibility. The director of sports set out as priorities a competitive entry into the First Division, a strong focus on youth development, and the ambition to win titles, with André Pereira tasked with leading the process. The objective is clear: “To win.”

The project is still at an early stage, with no promises of an easy path or any unrealistic view of the scale of the challenge. At André Pereira’s presentation, Mário Santos made it clear that the new futsal team will have to be built on a solid structure, capable of competing and evolving, and not merely on signing talented players.

Regarding the launch of this new senior team, the director of sports explained that futsal represents a commitment by the club and a responsibility that requires preparation and organization.

“Futsal was an election promise and it is a major challenge, an enormous responsibility, and I believe this is the way to fulfill yet another objective of our Club,” he said. “Futsal is fully aligned with FC Porto’s identity and we are ready to face this new adventure responsibly.”

The creation of the team therefore comes as the fulfillment of a previously established goal and not merely as an extension of the club. FC Porto intends to begin this stage with the seriousness and stature that match the importance it assigns to it.

As for the choice of coach, Mário Santos highlighted the work carried out so far and the importance of ensuring its continuity. André Pereira was identified as the right man to strengthen the competitive foundations of the project, which will not depend on immediately assembling a group of high-profile players.

“The choice of André is based on the entire project that already exists and has been gradually built. Although it is a recent project, it is already structured and has allowed us to be successful so far,” he explained. “At this moment, we believe he is the right choice to continue a project that goes far beyond having a team of stars arrive here with all the credentials. We want to reach the First Division with a competitive team, and we believe that, at this moment, André is the right person to build that foundation.”

Backing André Pereira is therefore tied to the continuity of work that has already begun. Promotion to the First Division is seen as the result of a growth process, in which future competitiveness will have to be built from the foundations now being laid.

Youth development is another pillar of the strategy presented by Mário Santos. Although he acknowledges the high level of demand in futsal, the official considers it essential to develop players capable of feeding into the team over the coming years.

“The reality of futsal at national and international level is based on solid youth development, capable of supplying teams over the coming years. That is the objective we are working toward,” he stressed. “We have no illusions about the need to have top-level athletes in order to compete once we reach the First Division, but we also have the ambition to become a benchmark in developing players who may go on to make up the core of that squad.”

The position taken combines caution with ambition. FC Porto knows it will need quality players to compete in the top tier, but it also wants its development work to be responsible for a significant part of the future squad.

Mário Santos concluded by reinforcing that FC Porto’s entry into futsal will be guided by the same competitive culture associated with the club. The club’s ambition, with regional, national, and international scope, also applies to this sport.

“As a club with a regional character and national and international ambition, FC Porto’s ambition in futsal, as in all other sports, is to win,” he assured. “It is to win the league and fight in European competitions. That is our long-term objective; otherwise, it would make no sense to be creating a senior team.”

Although this is a project designed for the long term, the bar has been set from the very beginning. The new senior team will be created to fight for titles and, in the future, also seek a place in European competitions.

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