Villas-Boas: “They hunt for phantom penalties against FC Porto” | OneFootball

In an editorial published in the magazine Dragões, André Villas-Boas assessed the start of 2026 from a sports perspective and called for restraint in the fans' euphoria, despite the very positive results. «On the competitive front, January brought us what defines great groups: the ability to endure, to resist, to respond under pressure, and to win in difficult contexts. The away victories against Santa Clara and Vitória de Guimarães, in two demanding fields, were clear proofs of maturity and character. They were not 'easy' games, nor could they be. They were games of determination, courage, and fighting spirit, that DNA that others envy and that makes FC Porto never hide, never surrender, and never give up. To this, we added a triumph against Benfica in the Cup, which places us in the semi-finals and opens the door for a decisive tie with Sporting CP or against AVS SAD,» he emphasizes.

He continued: «In the Europa League, the journey is marked by a huge demonstration of our DNA. Plzeň was the mirror of that path, a game of such toughness that only immense will could overcome. With Rangers, what started with adversity turned into a game where the whole team showed that it has the arguments to advance to the next phase with its ambition strengthened. But nothing is won. The road ahead remains demanding. We will continue to compete in everything, against everything and everyone: against strong opponents and in difficult contexts, against the burnt-out narrative and biased 'commentators', who are far from impartial, in media outlets that long for our downfall, even going so far as to tarnish the honor of the athletes of the teams facing FC Porto, dedicating hours to scrutinizing, in 'loop' and with a magnifying glass, images searching for non-existent penalties against FC Porto, supported by former members of non-permanent arbitration committees of the Portuguese Football Federation who continue to poison the work of referees every weekend,» he says, adding: «For all this, February will be a decisive month in our journey, where unity around the team and its goals is fundamental. It is because we are fully aware of this demand that we acted in the market, strengthening the team according to the needs identified by the coach and the structure. The arrivals of Thiago Silva, Óscar Pietuszewski, and Terem Moffi respond to a clear logic: quality, profile, character, and utility for the project and our ambitions. And thus following a thought-out strategy, we remain attentive to what makes sense, always with the same matrix: financial responsibility and sporting ambition.»

«This future is also built off the field, with the continuous internationalization of FC Porto. It was with enthusiasm that we signed the cooperation protocol with FC Cincinnati, from the MLS. A partner that represents a modern and demanding vision of football: professionalism, seriousness, quality of infrastructure, the ability to develop players, and above all, a culture of sustained growth. For FC Porto, this partnership means opening doors and creating bridges in a strategic market like the United States, bringing the Club closer to new audiences and consolidating our global presence. In the African continent, Portuguese-speaking countries, in particular, continue to be a priority and are being looked at with great attention. In this vein, FC Porto has reinforced its expansion on this continent with the launch of Dragon Force Black Bulls Mozambique, in partnership with the Black Bulls Association. This project, which starts immediately, will focus on exporting our training methodology and identifying local talents with the potential to be integrated into high-performance programs, consolidating Mozambique as a territory of enormous strategic relevance, following similar openings in Zimbabwe and Cape Verde. And we will not stop here. The coming weeks may bring important news for our expansion into Asia. Because FC Porto has to be, increasingly, a Club from Porto for the world, without ever losing its identity, without ever giving up its values, without ever forgetting where our strength comes from»

«A word about our eclecticism, which is an inseparable part of FC Porto's identity. Our women's volleyball team has had a very positive journey and we want it to continue to demonstrate all its capacity to return to us a title that escaped us last season. The support of the Members and Fans has been fundamental and will continue to be decisive. In roller hockey, the change in the technical team brought a visible transformation: in the way of playing, in the athletes' confidence, and in the collective quality. It is gratifying to see this evolution, game after game, and to salute the group for the recent results with the ambition to maintain this growth in February and continue to fight for the title with the same intensity that has always characterized us. In handball and basketball, the demand is total. We will do everything in our power to achieve the results we aspire to. We cannot yield on any of the fronts we are involved in and take our commitment to victory until the end of the season. FC Porto is this: work, identity, courage. A Club that renews itself, that wins, that grows, and that does not deviate from what is essential. Each game is an Arena. Each month is a chapter. And the next chapter is written with focus, with unity, and with the ambition of always»

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