Gabri Veiga on Frederico Varandas's comments: “It fuelled the fire” | OneFootball

In an interview with the newspaper O Jogo, Gabri Veiga addressed several topics, including FC Porto’s title celebrations, during which he mentioned Frederico Varandas’s comments. The Spanish midfielder began by explaining how the Sporting president’s statements served as motivation for the Dragons:

“I’m not going to lie, it turned into great fuel. Beyond what we had to do for ourselves, what was said from the outside… everyone knows what was said, and it was about proving to everyone that there was something here so strong that anyone could say whatever they wanted, and we were going to stay focused on ourselves all the way to the title.”

He then stressed that he does not believe he crossed any line in his response, since it was a moment of celebration:

“I like rivalry, with respect, because I did not disrespect absolutely anyone. It was something that stayed there, it was a good moment, funny and nothing more. There’s no need to talk much more about that part, because it’s done. This is a time to celebrate. When we go through years in which FC Porto is not at the level it deserves to be at — and now it is at a high level, FC Porto is back, so to speak — at some point, that may start to annoy certain people. It annoys some people a little that FC Porto is at this level, that it has come back on merit. It’s not easy to come from a bad season, with the changes in the summer, with new signings that may work out well, but you’re never completely sure. Everything went very well, thanks to the work of the board, the coach and us as well, and that is a bit of envy, so to speak, that everything is going well.”

Asked about the alleged photo of Frederico Varandas on the melon that was smashed by FC Porto’s players, Gabri Veiga replied:

“No, I don’t remember, I think the melon was just a normal one.”

Turning to Benfica, the Spanish midfielder highlighted José Mourinho’s work throughout the season and pointed out that the Primeira Liga title race was a three-way battle:

“After all, they didn’t lose throughout the whole league season and that deserves credit. They have a great coach; we knew that when [José] Mourinho went there, it was going to be tough, because of everything he represents. And Sporting, we know where they were coming from, from two great seasons. This season, they had a good Champions League campaign. We respect everyone, but we knew what we had to do. I think we clearly deserve the title, but we also have to value our rivals, because it was not easy at all. And that also says a lot about Portuguese football, which is at its peak, and we are happy to have the opportunity to represent Portugal in the Champions League.”

Finally, he addressed his future at the Dragão and assured that he wants to continue wearing the blue-and-white shirt:

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