André Villas-Boas: “FC Porto have carved out their own path” | OneFootball

André Villas-Boas, president of FC Porto, spoke at the Portugal Football Globes gala, one day after the clássico against their rivals from Luz at the Estádio do Dragão. Between the winning start to the league campaign, criticism of refereeing, and tensions among Portugal’s big three, he issued a warning about Porto’s stance and assured: “FC Porto has been doing its own thing.”

At a time marked by a perfect run of wins in the league and debate around Portuguese football, André Villas-Boas rejected both euphoria and convenient silence. The Porto president praised the team’s path, but insisted the club will continue to speak out whenever it believes the transparency and balance of the competition are at stake.

Asked about Marco Silva’s remarks, the executive framed the criticism as a natural reaction from someone who had just lost a clássico. The response quickly moved from the result to the position FC Porto has taken on the Refereeing Council.

“These are normal frustrations from a coach who has only just arrived in Portuguese football and lost his first clássico. It fits the frustration after a game that did not go well, and it is normal to try to find explanations for the result. FC Porto has been doing its own thing. We are the only ones to have taken a serious position on the Refereeing Council. We have been calling for the suspension of the president of the Refereeing Council for some time now, and we were the only club to do so,” he said. “Luciano Gonçalves has the right to protect his good name, and that is what he will do. Duarte Gomes will also have his arguments regarding the case. FC Porto has experienced decisions that are difficult to understand, but it has still managed to get its wins. Just look at FC Porto’s matches and the decisions that are overturned by VAR.”

Villas-Boas’s reading separates the opponent’s frustration from FC Porto’s institutional challenge. The president underlined that the Dragons have not stopped winning despite decisions they consider hard to understand.

On the double standards pointed out by Rui Costa, Villas-Boas responded with a specific episode and contrasted it with the standings. The message was short: for the Porto president, the most relevant statistic is in the results achieved.

“Rui Costa has a very curious episode from last year at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, between Sudakov and a Vitória SC player. I don’t know if that is the double standard he is referring to,” he noted. “The statistic I know is that FC Porto has 21 points and seven wins from seven matchdays.”

Criticism from Benfica’s president about the refereeing in the clássico drew a more detailed response. Villas-Boas defended Miguel Nogueira’s work and highlighted the convergence among different pundits.

“It is up to Benfica’s president to defend what he thinks was right or wrong. I do not think the refereeing influenced the game. I think it was a great refereeing performance,” he argued. “For the first time we have unanimity among the different experts regarding the refereeing decisions, including former members of non-permanent FPF committees linked to refereeing. They are all unanimous about the good decisions made by Miguel Nogueira yesterday. There is not much more to say.”

The Porto president thus sought to close the discussion about refereeing’s influence on the clássico. In his view, the decisions were correct and do not explain the outcome of the match.

The debate then widened to rivalries and power relations in Portuguese football. Villas-Boas recalled his attempt to create a line of communication among the big three, but said he stepped back after concluding there was a “two against one” scenario.

“Very little has changed since last year. I was the only one trying to create a channel of communication among the big three. Then I realized it was two against one and I stepped away. If there is one thing that is true and very much present, it is the Holy Alliance between Benfica and Sporting. I cannot accept that,” he declared. “We are FC Porto, and we want what is best for Portuguese football. I find this question curious, because Benfica yesterday sent a message to its members asking them to launch a petition against centralization. We are talking about what is best for Portuguese football, while one of the biggest clubs is sending private messages asking people to launch a petition against something that was approved at a League General Assembly. The rotten peace continues. There is noise. When the League General Assembly approves a project that is decisive for the development of Portuguese football and we see Benfica taking the opposite position, it seems to me that stability will never arrive.”

In the executive’s view, the lack of understanding goes beyond sporting rivalry and enters the realm of structural decisions. The expression “rotten peace” sums up a stability he considers merely apparent.

Asked about Frederico Varandas’s comments, he replied laconically, leaving the criticism concentrated in a single sentence.

“It is something new for the 2026/27 season, because in the others that is not how he behaved.”

Villas-Boas then returned to the idea of an alliance between Benfica and Sporting, this time grounded in communication and the strategies adopted in the League. FC Porto, he argued, has taken different positions on relevant institutional matters.

“There is an alignment in communication against FC Porto and an alignment in strategies in the League. FC Porto positions itself differently regarding the election of the League president and this Refereeing Council case,” he explained. “The Sporting president was one of the only ones to support president Luciano Gonçalves. It seems to me there is a certain framework and a Holy Alliance. Two against one is always easier.”

The Porto president’s thesis is clear: this is not just about isolated coincidences, but an alignment that leaves FC Porto isolated in key debates. That perception helps explain the more interventionist tone he promises to maintain.

Faced with the jab about the title of “Calimero of the Year,” Villas-Boas threw the choice back to the TV channel that raised the subject. The answer combined irony with distance.

“I don’t know. CMTV is brilliant at assigning captions, whether good or bad,” he replied. “You can be the ones to award it. It suits you well to make that designation.”

The president avoided feeding into the label and referred it back to those who coined it. The episode did not, however, distract from the core of his message about refereeing and institutions.

It was at that point that Villas-Boas made FC Porto’s line of action explicit. For the executive, the club has not only the legitimacy but also the responsibility to denounce the problems it considers relevant.

“FC Porto has to expose the problems of Portuguese football whenever it thinks it is necessary and relevant. It seems clear to me that when there are suspicions regarding the appointment of referees, FC Porto has sufficient grounds to ask for the suspension of the Refereeing Council and all of its governing bodies. I have not seen anyone else doing it,” he stressed. “We have Portuguese football caught up in stories involving suspicions of corruption, and it seems everything is normal. FC Porto shows its frustration when it has to, and it will continue with this stance.”

In the president’s words, there is no intention of lowering the tone on matters the club considers serious. The announced stance is one of continuity, even when FC Porto stands alone in that protest.

On the possibility of Sérgio Conceição heading to Sporting, Villas-Boas refused to try to influence a personal decision. At the same time, he preserved the former coach’s place in FC Porto’s memory.

“Those are choices for him to make. Sérgio Conceição is an excellent coach and a historic FC Porto coach,” he praised. “He has had a brilliant career at the club, gave us countless titles, and has a brilliant legacy that we want to preserve forever. He is an honorable and worthy person, and only he can decide which club he chooses.”

The response sought to separate the legacy built at the Dragão from Sérgio Conceição’s future choices. Villas-Boas did not hide his appreciation, but left the decision entirely in the coach’s hands.

On the sporting side, the perfect run of league wins was received with satisfaction but without euphoria. The president highlighted the team’s commitment, continuity in the work, and a spirit he identified as the club’s hallmark.

“A brilliant start from a fully committed team. We saw a lot of Porto in there and a great deal of dedication. After a successful year, we managed to keep most of the squad, and that is an added value, one that has translated into continuity in the coach’s work,” he analyzed. “To all that we add this Porto spirit, which is unique and has allowed us to achieve seven wins in seven matchdays. We have our feet firmly on the ground. We are only at the start of the league and a lot can change, but we are very happy with this start.”

The enthusiasm for the results is therefore accompanied by caution. Villas-Boas acknowledges the value of the start to the campaign, but refuses to treat it as a guarantee for what is still to be played.

In the Champions League, the president acknowledged the calibre of the opponents and the difficulties faced against Manchester City. Even so, he reaffirmed that FC Porto enters its upcoming fixtures with ambitions of its own.

“It is difficult to compete against big clubs. The game against Manchester City was very complicated,” he acknowledged. “We have our own ambitions, starting now in Seville and then against SSC Napoli and PSV Eindhoven, but we are aware of the difficulties we are going to face.”

As for reaching the round of 16, he refused to turn the objective into an obligation. Villas-Boas also framed it as an opportunity for Portuguese football to strengthen its position in the rankings.

“It is not mandatory, but we would like it to happen and I would be very proud of it. This is a unique opportunity for Portuguese football to pick up ranking points and secure sixth place,” he stressed. “They are good opportunities. The teams are well distributed across the different competitions and that can help cement that position.”

European ambition thus appears balanced by an awareness of the difficulty. For the president, FC Porto’s success can also have broader effects on the standing of Portuguese football.

With a long season ahead, Villas-Boas ended his sporting analysis by looking at the risks that can interfere in the title race. Squad availability and injury prevention emerged as key concerns.

“There are still many matchdays left and many difficulties along the way. The calendar is very long and we have to avoid injuries, which are one of the factors that can create noise in the title race,” he warned. “That is one of the points we want to control better and, from there, have the squad available. The team is good, the coach is very good, and if we can retain the title it will be a very great source of pride.”

The confidence is there, but it comes with caution and the awareness that the journey is only just beginning. The objective is stated without triumphalism: keep the squad available and turn the brilliant start into a lasting title challenge.

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