“We want to stay top and make the fans happy” | OneFootball

In Monção, as part of the celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the local Casa FC Porto, André Villas-Boas stressed that “the goal 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 to work in the background, seeking the best solutions to strengthen the squad in full agreement with the coaching staff.” The latest move of the off-season marked the homecoming of André Silva, “a player who knows FC Porto like no one else, who knows what the fans’ demands are and very much wanted 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 distribution key for the Liga’s TV rights, “a decisive step in building a good future for Portuguese football,” which should be followed by “steps that uphold and improve the product” — such as “clearer licensing, improved infrastructure, improved VAR technologies” — before expressing “great joy” at the “explosion in membership” at FC Porto: “For us this is a fundamental step. FC Porto must continue to grow in membership, economically and sportingly, which is what we most desire.”

25 years of Casa FC Porto – Monção“Yes, we are here celebrating the 25th anniversary of Casa FC Porto – Monção. Mr. President António Simões was telling me that this is a supporters’ house that has endured, the only one among the big three here in Monção. So this is something that sets us apart and elevates us as an institution, also as a 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 house and the members of FC Porto.”

The summer transfer window“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 closing comes 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 strengthening the squad due to the departures that took place, with some players not continuing. Some because of 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 very much wanted 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, seeking the best solutions to strengthen its squad in full agreement with the coaching staff. At the appropriate time, we will announce whoever we need to announce.”

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

Frederico Varandas’s conspiracies“They are unfortunate comments. I fix nothing with the Portuguese Football Federation regarding refereeing. That would be the last straw and it would mean Portuguese football was on the wrong path. We completed a great season, a season in which FC Porto was dominant and a rightful winner. About the other episodes I have nothing to say, especially about this recent episode of FC Porto’s alleged involvement in diverting Luís Suaréz. It is an absurd product of the Sporting president’s imagination, because we have nothing to do with Sporting’s players and we have more important things to do than conspire against Sporting players’ transfers. Therefore, we follow our own path. The goal 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 first place, sustain it over time and always bring joy to the fans. That is our main focus.”

The distribution key for Liga Portugal’s television rights“The distribution key for the 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 distribution key is well designed. It values all the other clubs and also preserves the standing of the big three and their importance as the economic engine of Portuguese football. That is undeniable. I do not want to repeat myself, but that is Portugal’s membership demographics, and that clear demographic was also respected in the distribution key. From now on, it is about going to market, finding the best solutions, and after that we especially have to look at the challenges ahead for Portuguese football, which involve improving infrastructure, having a greater ability to attract crowds to stadiums, and avoiding licensing situations that should not happen when there are clubs filing PERs to get out of certain responsibilities and debts they have toward others. I think that also does not uphold us or add value to us, so we need to find regulations, clearer licensing, improved infrastructure, improved VAR technologies. We must be focused on taking steps that uphold and improve the product of Portuguese football.”

Still on the transfer window“Everything is 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 goal, 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 in a very discreet way and try to complete our targets. We have already signed two players to strengthen the first team, another in a link 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 an explosion in members. FC Porto has seen its membership base grow by 20% since 2024, which is a huge joy. It means a great deal of Porto unity, a great deal 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 things in which we have grown, from the point of view of commercial revenues 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 outside it in terms of accessibility, where possible. That is what we are focused on. FC Porto must continue to grow in membership, economically and sportingly, which is what we most desire.”

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