Vítor Pinto: Froholdt embarrasses Rios narrative, backs FC Porto | OneFootball

The Sunday classic was a courtroom. And the verdict was unappealable.

Froholdt versus Richard Rios, on the field where it matters most, wasn't even a discussion. It was a demonstration. The Danish midfielder whom FC Porto brought in as an alternative to the Colombian was on a completely superior level — and that says everything about the quality of work done at Dragão when the main target slipped away.

The untold story

Vítor Pinto, deputy director of Record, has now revealed what he thinks happened behind the scenes: FC Porto was the club most enamored with Richard Rios long before Benfica entered the race. The player's representatives came to Portugal to meet with Porto, and the conviction was total — Rios was the right player, and the club was willing to go beyond the norm to sign him. Sporting never entered the process. Benfica wasn't involved either — until the Club World Cup changed everything.

Rios's performance in the competition sparked interest from half of Europe, and Benfica, with Rui Costa at the helm, entered the race unexpectedly and went far beyond what would be expected for a Portuguese club. FC Porto lost the player due to circumstances beyond their control.

Who won, after all?

Vítor Pinto — admittedly the biggest "Rios supporter" around, who at the beginning of the season said that any team signing Richard Rios would be a title contender, but now seems to have changed his mind.

“Froholdt brings depth to the game, has an impact on the game, which I doubt Richard Rios could have achieved here.”

It's a significant confession, coming from someone who believed in the Colombian the most. Because Froholdt is not just a high-level midfielder — he is a player who, under Farioli, found the perfect team and system to make him shine.

The market will speak

And there's another dimension: an elite Danish player naturally has the doors of the Premier League open. FC Porto not only signed better than it seemed at the time — they might be valuing an asset that, in the near future, will be worth much more than what was paid.

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