Villas-Boas: “Portuguese football needs to review licensing rules” | OneFootball

André Villas-Boas believes that Portuguese football must “urgently review its licensing regulations,” once again pointing to the Boavista case as an example and expressing concern over the club’s situation.

“It is not FC Porto’s role to take the place of the courts, the creditors, or those responsible at Boavista. But it is our duty to state that Portuguese football urgently needs to review its regulations on licensing, sustainability, and financial fair play. It is necessary to scrutinize more closely the origin of capital, the suitability of investors, the guarantees given to institutions, and the ongoing fulfillment of economic and social obligations,” noted the FC Porto president in the editorial of the latest issue of Dragões magazine.

“What is happening to a historic club in our city should not be a source of satisfaction for anyone. It is a wound in Porto’s sporting and social heritage and a warning to all of Portuguese football. The shutdown of activity, after years of insolvency, default, and financial decline, shows just how far a century-old institution can fall when it becomes dependent on opaque business models, shareholder structures disconnected from its community, and oversight mechanisms incapable of acting in time,” said AVB, who added: “Clubs are not disposable assets.”

“They belong to history, to cities, to members, and to the communities that built them. When a century-old club ends up on life support, far more than just one administration has failed. An entire system has failed, one that should have protected the competition, the workers, the supporters, and the collective heritage,” he added.

Regarding the members, Villas-Boas also expressed his appreciation to FC Porto supporters who renewed or purchased their Season Ticket for 2026/27.

“The season ticket process ended with an extraordinary response. Close to 96% of seats were renewed, and all the seats made available were acquired by Members on the waiting list. These are numbers that make us proud, but we will never look at them as mere percentages. The highest renewal rate in our history represents trust, belonging, and a tremendous desire to continue experiencing FC Porto at the Dragão. Behind each renewal there is often a family balancing the books, reorganizing priorities, and giving up other things in order to keep being there. The club’s Board and the SAD management are aware of that effort and do not take it for granted. We therefore extend our deepest thanks to everyone who renewed and to those who waited for their moment to acquire a Season Ticket,” highlighted the leader of the blue and whites.

“And we do not forget those who could not continue. There are seats with stories that began at the Antas, spanned decades at the Dragão, and were passed down through generations. Those who did not renew are no less Portistas, nor do they lose their place in the Club’s memory and life. FC Porto knows that life does not always allow people to choose with their hearts, and it cannot remain indifferent to the pain of someone interrupting a bond built over so many years. The effort of our members obliges us to serve better, to improve the experience at the Dragão, to manage with rigor and, naturally, to build teams capable of continuing to win. Because the stadium is not just concrete, seats, or services. The Dragão is the people who arrive early, who come from far away, who bring their children and grandchildren, who sing, demand, suffer, and never leave the team alone,” emphasized André Villas-Boas.

Futsal and the signing of Cardinal

The FC Porto president also highlighted the creation of the senior futsal team, another election promise fulfilled, expressing hope that the side will “develop an identity of its own.”

“We will begin in the national Third Division, humble in our starting point and ambitious in our destination. We want to build solid foundations, develop an identity of our own, and create a team that inspires passion in Portistas and that, over time, takes FC Porto to the level its stature demands. The choice of Cardinal as captain says a great deal about what we want. There is no need to explain to him what Porto is, because he has always lived it. He is a true Portista, one of the great names in the history of the sport, and someone who described this return as the happiest day of his sporting life. Before the first ball is even kicked, our captain already represents belonging, emotion, experience, and the responsibility of paving the way for those who come after,” concluded Villas-Boas.

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