Villas-Boas defends Rodrigo Mora sale for FC Porto “sustainability”

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Portal dos Dragões

·26 August 2026

Villas-Boas defends Rodrigo Mora sale for FC Porto “sustainability”

André Villas-Boas, FC Porto president, presented Rodrigo Mora’s transfer to Roma this Tuesday as an example of balance between youth development, sporting performance, and financial sustainability. The deal could reach €50 million.

In the August editorial of Dragões magazine, the Porto leader stressed the need to build an FC Porto that is “stable, powerful, debt-free,” capable of keeping its top talents for longer and deciding “when and under what conditions to let them go.”

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Villas-Boas also drew a parallel between Rodrigo Mora’s departure and Diego Moreira’s transfer. The player, developed at Benfica, left the Lisbon club on a free transfer and moved to AC Milan this summer for €50 million. For the FC Porto president, the two deals were treated differently by the media.

“Losing a talent on a free transfer deserves no comment; valuing him at €50 million becomes a problem, as long as the credit and the return stay in the North,” wrote the ‘blue-and-white’ leader, pointing to what he sees as a “selective memory” in the analysis of Portuguese clubs’ dealings, while also delivering strong criticism of the player’s lawyer, Luís Miguel Henrique, who gave statements to CMTV while negotiations were still ongoing.

Regarding Rodrigo Mora, the Porto president highlighted the player’s development path at the club and said the agreement with Roma guarantees FC Porto a “significant immediate financial return,” while also allowing it to retain “a decisive stake in his future.”

Mora transfer strengthens FC Porto

The FC Porto president framed the deal within a broader strategic vision, advocating the combination of “scouting, youth development, sporting success, and financial success.” The aim is to reduce dependence on player sales and extend the stay of the club’s top talents.

“Until we get there, sport is also made up of compromises, crossing paths, difficult decisions, and the need to protect present and future sustainability at the same time, without giving up the obligation to keep winning,” he argued.

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