“The most valuable squad ever”, says Villas-Boas of FC Porto | OneFootball

André Villas-Boas, president of FC Porto, once again addressed the club’s financial recovery at an event hosted this weekend by Diego Ribas, a former Dragons player. The executive recalled the difficulties he encountered on arrival, explained the decisions that were made, and pointed to player transfers as the path to economic stabilization. As for the sporting value built up, he assured: “FC Porto now has the most valuable squad in its entire history, 425 million.”

Given the situation he outlined, André Villas-Boas presented a two-phase narrative: first, the immediate response to financial obligations; then, investment in a group he believes is capable of generating the income needed to reduce the debt. Between sales already completed and future transfers, the Porto president placed the squad’s appreciation in value at the center of the strategy.

Looking back on the moment he took over leadership of FC Porto, Villas-Boas described a particularly demanding financial situation. The need to meet payments and find revenue led the club to turn to the market.

“When we arrived at FC Porto, the financial situation was terrible, we had eight thousand euros in the account, we had 15 million euros to pay in 15 days, and we had 100 million euros in four months. After that, we got to January, doing badly in the league, we were in third place, and we had to sell players,” he recalled. “We sold Galeno to Al Ahli for 50 million, and we sold Nico González to Manchester City for 60 million. So, we raised another 110 million euros. We hired a top coach, young and ambitious, and gave the coach the biggest transfer window in FC Porto’s history, meaning we invested 100 million euros in players”

The picture painted by the president directly links the sales of Galeno and Nico González to the club’s subsequent ability to invest. In Villas-Boas’s view, the market first served to ease financial pressure and then to rebuild value within the squad.

The next step is to turn that sporting value into greater economic stability. William Gomes, Samu, Froholdt, and Diogo Costa were highlighted by the executive as examples of the talent that could allow the club to continue paying down its debt.

“FC Porto now has the most valuable squad in its entire history, 425 million. In principle, within this talented group we now have—William Gomes, Samu, Froholdt, Diogo Costa—we have the solution to the financial side,” he said. “From that point on, through the transfers of these players, we will truly begin to continue paying down debt so that we can finally stabilize economically”

The message makes the board’s logic clear: increase the value of assets, complete transfers, and channel that revenue toward reducing debt. Stabilization is still presented as a goal to be achieved, but Villas-Boas believes the current squad offers the resources needed to get there.

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