Villas-Boas blasts: “Varandas came to grandstand, FC Porto have proof” | OneFootball

André Villas-Boas strongly criticized Frederico Varandas, stating that the Sporting president came “to make a fool of himself” and “forced the minister to meet with the two presidents in a case in which FC Porto has irrefutable evidence,” referring to the controversy surrounding the handball derby between the two teams.

“I understand the frustrations of the Sporting president, especially when at his own stadium there are fans throwing glass bottles at referees’ heads, players saying a referee is a thief… I understand the frustrations. When there are breaches of the League regulations to postpone a football match… I understand the attempts to change the narrative. Since there was a break for the national team matches, Sporting wants to push the Tondela game case a little further down the line. He came here to make the spectacle he made, which is regrettable across the whole League. He forced the minister to meet with the two presidents in a case in which FC Porto has irrefutable evidence. Once the case is closed, FC Porto will be relentless,” said the Porto president after the meeting with the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, called in the wake of the incident at Dragão Arena, where the Lions complained of a strong smell that led players and the coach to require medical assistance. Even so, AVB countered: “There was not even any hospitalization of Sporting members. Several people leave the dressing room and there are Sporting players making fun of the situation…”

Regarding this case, Villas-Boas hopes everything will be shelved and, after that, promises to move against the Lions: “Once all the facts are established, and this is shelved, FC Porto will be relentless with Sporting regarding defamation, slander and attacks against its good name. Not only on Sporting’s part, but also by some media commentators who went beyond freedom of expression.”

AVB also assured that Varandas apologized to him for having called him a “liar” and a “coward” after the derby at Alvalade on March 4: “Do you think the Sporting president’s agitated state after the match is normal, when he calls another president a coward and a liar? After a meeting we had, the Sporting president came to apologize to me. In front of the media he is unable to do so. And they were accepted. It was at this latest meeting, when we went to meet with the FPF president about sports betting. He apologized to me. A result of his constant and inflammatory statements to the media. This was the last time we were face to face and spoke about the issue of revenues. I can do no more than play my role.”

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