António Tavares: “It’s vital every member feels FC Porto is partly theirs” | OneFootball

Honored with the Medal of Merit of the Porto City Council, in a ceremony held on Thursday morning at City Hall, António Tavares, Ombudsman of Santa Casa da Misericórdia and chairman of FC Porto’s General Assembly Board (MAG), stressed his pride at seeing several figures linked to the club, including president André Villas-Boas and Jorge Costa (posthumously), distinguished by the municipality.

“It is a great source of pride, because it means the city recognizes the work done by FC Porto, not only at the level of the athletes, but also by its directors. For me, being here as chairman of FC Porto’s General Assembly Board and seeing this recognition from the city, in a year that was so important and brought so much joy to the people of Porto and FC Porto supporters through the club’s victories, is a source of great satisfaction,” the official said in comments to journalists after the ceremony, reinforcing the club’s strong bond with the city.

“The club bears the city’s coat of arms on its crest and everything Porto stands for, the nature and DNA of what it means to be Porto: resilient, victorious, straightforward and combative. This is also FC Porto, a club that carries the city’s name in its very identity,” he stressed.

The MAG chairman also praised the recent remarks by André Villas-Boas, who once again stated his intention to keep FC Porto as a members’ club. “Clubs that pass into the hands of businessmen or companies often fail to maintain their identity. We have seen what happened to historic clubs in Portugal, which disappeared completely. FC Porto is a members’ club and it is essential that this sense of identification exists, so that each member feels that a small part of the club belongs to them. President André Villas-Boas is concerned with preserving this popular, member-based character, even in the face of the new dynamics of the football industry, without ever neglecting professional management,” he underlined.

As for a possible proposal to limit terms in the presidency of the Dragons, António Tavares said the issue requires in-depth reflection. “We have already exchanged ideas, but at the moment there are priorities at the club that have not yet allowed for that reflection. It is a reflection that will impact the club’s leadership and future, so it deserves full attention. The president was not present [at the Porto City Council ceremony] because he is taking a short break, although a president never truly has holidays because there is always preparation for the seasons ahead. André Villas-Boas is a director very concerned with the club’s identification with the city and he too will rightly be honored by the City Council. It is a reflection that will take place in an open environment and, in due course, we will have news,” he said.

In addition, the official addressed the good institutional relations that currently exist between FC Porto and Porto City Council. “It is very important, first and foremost because of infrastructure management, which requires alignment with the municipality. At present, the relationship is healthy and both sides understand the contributions they can make: the City Council defines public policies and FC Porto, as an institution of public utility, responds by being a great ambassador for the city around the world. The club carries Porto’s name farther, alongside Port wine, gastronomy and tourism. FC Porto is the city’s great standard-bearer.”

As for the new season, the aim is naturally to do better. “It is always possible to do better because the ambition that drives the club, its athletes and directors is to be better every day. This was a great season, one that even surprised those who doubted the strategy that had been adopted. As the president has already said, and coach Francesco Farioli confirmed, we are ‘hungry,’ we are very hungry for titles and we are going in to do better. We want to improve in handball and roller hockey, but above all we want FC Porto to return to the Champions League to represent the country and raise Portugal’s ranking in European competitions,” he said.

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