“We want to stay top and give the fans something to cheer” | OneFootball

In Monção, as part of the celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the local Casa FC Porto, André Villas-Boas stressed that “the objective is for FC Porto never to let go of first place again and to sustain it over time so as to always bring joy to the fans.”

Asked by the media present at the event about the transfer market, the president recalled that “the team is well built” and that “there is a solid foundation” to “go after next year’s title in the same way,” assuring that the Club will “continue working in the background, looking for the best solutions to strengthen the squad in full agreement with the coaching staff.” The latest move of the off-season marked the return home of André Silva, “a player who knows FC Porto like no one else, who knows what the fans demand and had a great desire to return.”

After commenting on yet another “absurd product of the Sporting president’s imagination,” André Villas-Boas also spoke about the approval of the allocation formula for Liga television rights, “a decisive step in building a good future for Portuguese football” that should be followed by “steps that dignify and improve the product” – such as “clearer licensing, improved infrastructure, improved VAR technology” – before expressing “great joy” at the “surge in members” at FC Porto: “For us this is a fundamental step. FC Porto must continue to grow in membership, economically and sporting-wise, which is what we want most.”

25 years of Casa FC Porto – Monção“Yes, we are here celebrating the 25 years of Casa FC Porto – Monção. President António Simões was already telling me that this is a supporters’ club that has been resilient, the only one among the big three here in Monção. So, that is something that sets us apart and elevates us as an institution, and it is also the result of his good work. It is a huge pleasure to be here, to celebrate this anniversary with them and also to celebrate the selfless spirit of its president in promoting the FC Porto institution, his Club, which greatly honors the members of this supporters’ club and the members of FC Porto.”

The summer market“We are in a period of preparation for next season. Everything has gone according to plan. Although we, the Board, are already in the 2026/27 season, the 2025/26 season has not yet ended. Normally that closes on June 30, as you know, so there is still a lot of work to do. The reality is that the team is well built. We obviously want to go after next year’s title in the same way, but we have a good base and a solid foundation, something we had to rebuild at the end of the 2024/25 season.”

André Silva“It was also a meeting of minds with the coaching staff, with the player, and with the strengthening of the squad due to the departures that took place, with some players not continuing. Some through misfortune, as was the case with Luuk de Jong, and others by choice, as was the case with Terem Moffi. It is the homecoming of a player who knows FC Porto like no one else, who knows what his fans demand and who had a great desire to come home. That is something we can never overlook, and it is with all this emotion that we see him return. Therefore, we are confident that he will give a lot to this club and we very much want that extra optional year to become a reality and for André Silva to stay at FC Porto for many years.”

Robert Lewandowski“I think social media sometimes fuels dreams that are unrealistic, and it is very normal for these dynamics to exist, especially when there were two FC Porto players who, jokingly, got right a quiz that we ourselves launched. So, it has nothing to do with that. As you know, FC Porto works in the background of the market, looking for the best solutions to strengthen its squad in full agreement with the coaching staff. At the proper time, we will announce whoever we have to announce.”

Caleb Yirenkyi“He is only a player monitored by FC Porto, very difficult to sign because of the clubs’ financial demands. It is a bad time to work the markets, because the demands are usually very high. The market is only just getting started, it always becomes more active in July and August, and it becomes completely hectic in the final weeks of August and early September. So, it is still a very early stage. I would also remind you that, at the end of the 2024/25 season, FC Porto moved in the market much later, but with great force. So, at this stage these are always preliminary contacts. He is a player who has been monitored by FC Porto since last year and who has generated a lot of interest, particularly from Premier League clubs, but for whom we have made no offer or any move.”

Frederico Varandas’s conspiracies“They are unfortunate comments. I do not arrange anything with the Portuguese Football Federation regarding refereeing. That would be the last straw and would mean that Portuguese football was on the wrong path. We completed a great season, a season in which FC Porto were dominant and deserved winners. About the other episodes, I have nothing to say, especially about this recent episode of FC Porto’s alleged involvement in diverting Luís Suárez. It is an absurd product of the Sporting president’s imagination, because we have nothing to do with Sporting’s players and we have better things to do than conspire against the transfers of Sporting’s players. So, we follow our path. The objective is for FC Porto never to let go of first place again. Those are always our dreams. We won this title with a lot of sweat, a title that had eluded us for four years, and now we want to stay in that first place, sustain it over time and always bring joy to the fans. That is our main focus.”

The allocation formula for Liga Portugal’s television rights“The allocation formula for television rights has already been taken to the General Assembly, it was approved with around 80% or more than 80%, so it is a reality that pleases most clubs. It is a decisive step in building a good future for Portuguese football. New steps follow. The new steps are to go to market and aim for the amounts that we believe Portuguese football is worth. That allocation formula is well designed. It values all the other clubs and also maintains the recognition of the big three and of their importance as the economic engine of Portuguese football. That is undeniable. Without wanting to repeat myself, that is Portugal’s membership demographic, and that clear demographic was also respected in the distribution formula. From now on it is about going to market, finding the best solutions, and after that we have to look above all at the challenges ahead for Portuguese football, which involve improving infrastructure, having a greater capacity to attract crowds to stadiums, and avoiding licensing situations that should not happen when there are clubs submitting PERES to escape some responsibilities and debts they have toward others. I think that also does not dignify us or add value to us, so we need to find regulations, clearer licensing, improved infrastructure, improved VAR technology. We must be focused on taking steps that dignify and improve the Portuguese football product.”

Still on the transfer window“Everything is still at a very early stage. Now the World Cup is here and attention will be focused on that competition. FC Porto is calmly following its plan regarding the options it has in the market. Our objective, as I told you, is to keep the core of the team we have and build an even more solid one, meeting the requirements the coach asks of us. Therefore, whenever possible, we will always operate in the market very quietly and try to conclude our targets. We have already signed two players who strengthen the first team, another in a role between the first team and the B team, and that is how we will continue to operate.”

The exponential growth in membership“Yes, we are seeing a surge in members. FC Porto has seen its membership base grow by 20% since 2024, which is a huge joy. It means a lot of Porto unity, a lot of love around FC Porto, which is also reflected in membership. For us this is a fundamental step. It also has a lot to do with the fact that FC Porto has transformed its digital side, which makes it much easier for Porto fans to become members. But there are countless other areas in which we have grown, from the standpoint of commercial revenue and stadium attendance. The Estádio do Dragão was the stadium with the highest attendance last season, and those are very good signs for the future. We are now dedicated to improving the Estádio do Dragão, its services, hospitality services, and better service for fans and members when they come to the stadium. Our concern is always to improve the fan and member experience, both inside the Estádio do Dragão and also outside it in terms of accessibility, whenever possible. That is what we are focused on. FC Porto must continue to grow in membership, economically and sporting-wise, which is what we want most.”

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