Villas-Boas on titles in football and beyond: “No accident, hard work” | OneFootball

André Villas-Boas once again signed the editorial in the June issue of Dragões Magazine, where he took stock of FC Porto’s last season. The Dragons’ president highlighted a “season of titles, affirmation, pride and unity,” beginning by recalling some of the trophies won in the youth ranks and in women’s football.

“We were senior National Champions, winning our 31st title. We won at Under-19, Under-17 and Under-15 level. We achieved a historic clean sweep in national football, repeating feats only FC Porto had managed before, in 1985/86 and 1997/98. To that we added the national women’s football title, with promotion to the First League, and a brilliant season from the B team, which matched the previous points record set when it was crowned champion,” he began.

“This is no accident. It is not luck. It is not circumstance. It is work. It is method. It is standards. It is a clear vision of what we want for FC Porto football: to win today, develop better for tomorrow and build a structure that sustains the future,” he continued.

He then expressed his gratitude to the “players, coaches, technical staffs, support departments, health and performance unit, scouting, sporting and executive management, and everyone who works daily to elevate the player developed at FC Porto.”

André Villas-Boas continued his review of 2025/26, this time focused on men’s football, which marked a return to titles.

“In senior football too, this year had one undeniable name: Francesco Farioli. He led with method, courage and a level of demandingness deeply aligned with what FC Porto is. He quickly understood the Club, brought the group together, maximised talent and returned us to the place our History demands. The broad success of Porto football also comes from that shared competitive culture, in which everyone works to win and to elevate daily the symbol they represent,” he said.

“Nothing we built this year would have been possible without loyalty, competence, courage and a sense of mission. There were difficult decisions, long hours, moments of pressure and constant demands, especially after a frustrating season like 2024/2025. But above all, there was a united structure around the same objective: to return FC Porto to the path of victory and put it back on the road to the title. And that path was not built in football alone,” he continued.

As for the future, the Dragons’ president assured that the club is already preparing for next season and mentioned the new signings.

“At the same time as we celebrate, we are already building next season. Because at FC Porto victory is not rest, it is responsibility. We welcome André Silva, João Afonso and Eirik Granaas, reinforcements arriving at a demanding, winning club that is fully aware of the weight of its History. May they quickly understand what it means to represent FC Porto: talent is important, but commitment, work and respect for the badge are indispensable,” he stressed.

Finally, André Villas-Boas turned his attention to the other sports and spoke of a “year of excellence,” assuring that FC Porto “does not compete to take part: it competes to win.”

“We confirmed that, when all departments, all teams, all governing bodies, the entire structure and all the supporters move in the same direction, FC Porto becomes once again what it has always been: a force that is difficult to stop. We celebrated a lot. We won a lot. We made History. But our hunger to win does not allow us to fall asleep. At FC Porto, success does not close cycles: it opens responsibilities. The Year of the Dragon is written down. The next one has already begun. We are FC Porto. And our commitment to victory is non-negotiable,” he concluded.

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