Villas-Boas to Silva and Rui Costa: “Just frustration after a bad result” | OneFootball

André Villas-Boas responded to Marco Silva and Rui Costa after FC Porto’s victory in the derby played at the Dragão. On his way into the Portugal Football Globes, the Porto president framed the criticism from Benfica’s coach and president as a consequence of an unfavorable result and defended the performance of the refereeing team. On the controversy, he assured: “There’s little more to say.”

Speaking to journalists, André Villas-Boas put FC Porto’s work at the center of his response, contrasting the team’s progress with the complaints from Benfica’s officials. The executive also reiterated the club’s critical stance toward the Refereeing Council, without drawing a connection between that dispute and the outcome of the derby.

Reacting to Marco Silva’s words, Villas-Boas said the Benfica coach’s tone was down to frustration over losing his first derby since arriving in Portuguese football. The Porto president thus rejected the idea that the criticism took anything away from FC Porto’s achievements.

“They are normal frustrations from a coach who arrives in Portuguese football and loses his first derby. It fits with the frustration of a game that did not go well. He is trying to find reasons for the result. FC Porto has been following its path; it is the only one that has taken a serious position on the Refereeing Council,” he said. “We support the suspension of the president of the Refereeing Council. Luciano Gonçalves has the right to protect his good name and will do so, Duarte Gomes will present his arguments on the case, however, FC Porto has experienced several decisions this season that are difficult to understand, but it has achieved its victories through its own work. Examples? Just look at FC Porto’s matches and the decisions overturned by VAR.”

The response separates two issues: FC Porto’s institutional challenge to those in charge of refereeing and the team’s performances on the pitch. Villas-Boas sought to make it clear that Porto’s victories are the result of the team’s work, despite decisions he considers hard to understand.

Rui Costa’s complaints about a possible double standard drew a sharper reply. Villas-Boas brought up an episode from the previous season, pointed to FC Porto’s record, and left it to the Benfica president to explain his criticism in concrete terms.

“There was a curious incident last year at the D. Afonso Henriques Stadium, involving Sudakov and a V. Guimarães player... I don’t know if that is the double standard he is referring to. The statistic I know is that FC Porto has 21 points and seven wins from seven games. A double standard? You’ll have to ask him,” he stressed. “It is up to the Benfica president to defend what he thinks is right or wrong. Talk to him. I think it was a great refereeing performance. For the first time, apart from most of the microphones here, we have unanimity regarding the refereeing decisions. There’s little more to say. When there is unanimity, what more do they want to cling to?”

The Porto president’s position was therefore built on two arguments: a positive assessment of the refereeing and the absence of any significant disagreement over the decisions that were made. Rather than prolonging the controversy, Villas-Boas placed the burden back on Benfica’s officials to substantiate their own accusations.

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