Villas-Boas hits back at Benfica: “Samu’s little party for Bah…” | OneFootball

André Villas-Boas, president of FC Porto, responded to Benfica during the club’s 133rd anniversary celebrations, following the complaint filed by the Eagles with the Disciplinary Board of the Portuguese Football Federation over an incident involving Samu and Alexander Bah in the Clássico. The Porto official played down the move, rejected any euphoria over the team’s sole lead at the top of the league, and invoked Pinto da Costa’s legacy. As for what comes next, he assured: “Absolute focus on the next matches.”

Speaking to journalists, André Villas-Boas framed Benfica’s complaint as stemming from the disappointment caused by the outcome of the Clássico and described it as an attempt to put pressure on Porto’s players. That message ran through his entire statement: FC Porto will make its defense, but will not take its attention away from the competitive path ahead.

Asked about the complaint regarding the incident that took place deep into stoppage time, near the touchline, the Porto president began by linking the rival’s move to the emotional aftermath of the match.

“I see it as frustration... Everyone looks for the most creative methods to find ways of getting FC Porto players suspended for other matches,” he began.

Villas-Boas then dismissed the possibility of the case having consequences for Samu, using irony to describe the contact with Bah.

“Obviously nothing is going to happen,” he argued. “These are acts that naturally escape the referees’ judgment. Maybe VAR didn’t have the footage to properly analyze the little party Samu threw for Bah, and it wouldn’t have made much difference anyway, because it certainly wouldn’t have been a sending-off.”

The FC Porto president went even further, seeing the complaint as a strategy aimed at the Dragons’ upcoming fixtures.

“This is an attempt to pressure FC Porto’s players for the future, as a new Benfica strategy, and it will lead nowhere; it will be a waste of time for the Disciplinary Board. Obviously, FC Porto will present its defense,” he stressed. “And then we move on. Absolute focus on the next matches.”

The stance is one of institutional confrontation, but without prolonging the noise: Villas-Boas promises a response in the proper place and seeks to close the matter with a clear call for competitive focus.

The win over Benfica and the team’s sole lead in the league also came up. Pleased with the moment, the president nevertheless recalled that FC Porto is only doing its duty and refused to turn an early-season victory into any kind of definitive conclusion.

“These are natural frustrations. The first came right after the match, with the press conferences and the disappointment that losing a Clássico in Portuguese football brings to some people, and then there is a three-week break and, naturally, an FC Porto-Benfica match, the biggest game in Portuguese football, has an impact on people’s lives,” he noted.

Without hiding the emotional value of the result, Villas-Boas insisted on the need to keep the team united and alert.

“People reflect on what happened from their own perspectives. Some savor victory, others savor defeat,” he argued. “For FC Porto this is a moment of focus and unity. Nothing has been decided; we have to keep showing our ability.”

The Clássico thus emerges as a source of confidence, not a destination. The lead is valued, but the president’s remarks stop any feeling of mission accomplished in a season that is still only just beginning.

On FC Porto’s anniversary, Villas-Boas widened the focus to the club’s history and remembered Pinto da Costa, his predecessor as president, linking him to the transformation of the Dragons into a winning institution. The tribute also extended to founders Monteiro da Costa and Nicolau de Almeida.

“Today we honor our founders and the people who transformed this club, first and foremost Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, for the radical transformation of this club into a winning club, unique and singular,” Villas-Boas concluded. “But also, of course, Monteiro da Costa and Nicolau de Almeida, as the great founders of FC Porto. It is 133 years of history, many emotions, and a special impact on people’s lives.”

Between responding to the present and invoking the past, Villas-Boas sought to anchor Porto’s identity in a line of continuity: defending the club, preserving ambition, and recognizing those who helped build it.

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