Vítor Hugo on Pinto da Costa and Villas-Boas: “We’re on track” | OneFootball

Vítor Hugo accompanied Pinto da Costa during the final days of his presidency at FC Porto and holds very positive memories of the charismatic leader of the Dragons. In statements to the newspaper Record, the club’s former vice-president and roller hockey legend recalled the legacy of Pinto da Costa, on the occasion of the first anniversary of his passing, and said he is convinced that FC Porto will soon return to success.

“I hope FC Porto can stay in 1st place and keep winning. That’s what happened for many years under the presidency of Pinto da Costa. I am convinced it’s only a matter of time before it happens again. He left a legacy, a stadium, an arena, a training center, and, above all, a museum full of trophies. It’s an indisputable legacy. When people want to know what happened during all those years, they should think about these things, which are many, and put them all together. Pinto da Costa changed the mentality of a club, of the fans, of the players, and that is the greatest legacy he could have left,” Vítor Hugo began by recalling.

The football team did not add trophies to the museum last season, but the former vice-president of the Dragons believes a turnaround is near, especially since the team led by Francesco Farioli is heading in the right direction.

“These are growing pains. Not everything went well last year, but this year things are going well, and I hope it ends with FC Porto in the place it deserves, which is winning the national title. It was a pity what happened in the last game. Those leading the club fully understand the demands of a club like this, and I am convinced that FC Porto will be national champions again, which is the place destined for and deserved by the club, because it is clearly the best team in the country,” emphasized the former hockey player, aged 62.

As the first anniversary of Pinto da Costa’s passing is marked, the name of the legendary leader has once again come to the forefront due to criticism from Sporting, which, in a statement, associated the current leadership of FC Porto with the period when the club was presided over by Pinto da Costa. Vítor Hugo interprets this comparison as a compliment to the way André Villas-Boas has been running the club.

“As a Porto supporter, I see this comparison as a very good sign for the battles ahead and a sign that we are on the right track. As our eternal president used to say, I could be an angel, but I certainly was never a little angel. I find it unbelievable, the arrogance of those who consider themselves morally superior. This hysteria over what happened in the last game is a disgrace—a game that ended with a fair result, just as our victory at Alvalade was fair. And since there were no incidents, they had to create them,” concluded the former Dragons’ official.

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