Villas-Boas slams Sporting: “At the Dragão, more pettiness” | OneFootball

Sporting once again found itself at the center of criticism from André Villas-Boas in the latest edition of Dragões magazine, released this Thursday. In that publication, the FC Porto president levels several accusations at the Alvalade club, touching on issues ranging from football to handball and referring to recent controversies.

“There are those going around selling the idea that ‘if VAR had existed earlier’ they would have won more titles at their beloved club. It is a recurring and telling lament. Telling because, with VAR or without VAR, there was one reality those ‘aggrieved parties’ had to swallow: in their time, FC Porto won the European Cup, won the Champions League, won the UEFA Cup, won the Europa League and won the Intercontinental Cup twice! It was national champion, back-to-back champion, three-time champion, four-time champion, five-time champion. And that trauma, apparently, has not gone away. It causes itching. It bothers them. And that is why at the Dragão we witnessed yet another episode of that pettiness: the choice of a discreet entrance, through the back door, to avoid facing head-on the weight of FC Porto’s history. When history weighs heavily, some prefer not to face it. We live with it every day, because we built it with our sweat and the demanding standards that set us apart, something that, for them, will always be unattainable, with VAR or without VAR,” fired Villas-Boas, referring to the controversy before the recent classic in the second leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals, in which Sporting asked to access the dressing room by a different route than usual — FC Porto’s international trophies were on display in the main corridor.

“To that discomfort was added the episode of FC Porto-Sporting in handball. And here I leave a clear message: FC Porto is absolutely calm and cooperating with the justice system,” AVB assures, adding: “It is well documented on everything that happened, what was done and what was not. And those involved who chose insult and the attempt to tarnish the institution will answer for it to the fullest extent. At FC Porto, defending the club is not an emotional reaction: it is a firm, grounded and documented position. And whoever chooses to attack the institution will have to pay the price for those choices. All of this got to the point where they were begging for urgent meetings at the highest political level. And when sport reaches this level of degradation, the country should understand the scale of the problem or the inferiority complex of some people. What we then saw was the portrait of a strange time: scripts read from paper by a president so as not to miss the narrative of his communications advisers, and a communications machine permanently mobilized to manufacture perceptions, as if football were a studio and not a game,” shot back the Dragons’ leader, pointing at Frederico Varandas.

André Villas-Boas also speaks about a “phenomenon that has been occurring” this season: the distortion of public opinion. “But this phenomenon that has been occurring this season happens not only with FC Porto, but also with referees who, inadvertently, make mistakes against Sporting. On channels aligned with the green shirt, referees are dissected in all their decisions, as if one mistake were a betrayal of the Lisbon club and as if public pressure were a legitimate instrument for ‘correcting’ the game. This, yes, seems to be the new ‘system’ of Portuguese football: to shape perceptions, to shape environments, to shape decisions. Today it is the penalty incident, tomorrow it is the rebound, then the ‘pedagogical’ card, next the white card, and the truth of the game is left hostage to whichever way the script blows,” added the Porto president.

In closing, AVB comes to the defense of Francesco Farioli and leaves a message of unity to the blue-and-white world. “Added to this are countless personal and professional attacks on our coach, Francesco Farioli, by different pundits. Some without a journalist’s license, being merely commentators; others who do not even respect their own credentials and are journalists at times and conveniently commentators at others, attack with hatred, foul language and insinuations that, in any minimally serious context, would be unacceptable. Farioli works, shows his face, leads, takes risks, takes responsibility. And for that very reason, he becomes a target. But let me make this very clear: FC Porto protects its own. And it protects them firmly, because here, ‘in the North,’ our own are untouchable. But the focus is on what matters. The title is here. The final step is here. So close and yet so far at the same time. And the response must be the same as always: focus, unity and work. No celebrating. No distractions. No noise, but with a need for all your strength. I’m counting on you,” Villas-Boas concluded.

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