Villas-Boas on Sporting’s AGM proposals: “A clever trick gone wrong” | OneFootball

André Villas-Boas was at the ECO festival this Wednesday and commented to journalists on topics related to the transfer market, next season, the relationship between the Big Three, among other matters.

“I was not involved in the Jamor final and there is little to say. It was a surprise. A celebration of football that should be elevated. Congratulations to Torreense. They had already done it last year in the women’s game and now they have won the men’s title. Congratulations to the structure behind it. It is a great achievement that leaves its mark on the Portuguese Cup. Sporting will certainly be frustrated for not having achieved the result, but that has nothing to do with me. I am the president of FC Porto,” he said.

New season: “The building of one season into the next. We have already moved into the next one, with the proper preparation. Everything has been discussed internally. We are making decisions that will sustain FC Porto’s success. All clubs that win the league want to sustain themselves, and that is the hardest thing. It is about staying at the top.”

Barcelona wanting Kiwior and FC Porto’s interest in Gustavo Sá: “I can deny both. It came as a complete surprise that I even had to deny them. I have not spoken to Deco in three months. He never called me about Kiwior, a great player whom FC Porto snatched from the Premier League. As for Gustavo Sá, I absolutely deny any interest. He is a great player, but FC Porto has made zero moves for Gustavo Sá.”

Future of the clubs: “We are in the realm of emotions. When limits are crossed, we have to acknowledge it. Last season, they were crossed. What we cannot do is live in hypocrisy. There is a path of responsibility. What happened at the last General Assembly was absolutely pathetic, regarding Sporting’s proposals. One had to do with a wrongly awarded corner, a proposal that comes from IFAB and not from Sporting. It was an attempt at being clever that backfired. And another concerned the conduct of presidents. We have to lead by example and not have scenarios like Sporting-FC Porto, which led one president to insult another. You can certainly count on the FC Porto president for that, and it is important that certain lines are not crossed.”

Relationship between the clubs: “I have done nothing other than try to bring the giants of Portuguese football closer together. From the moment they try to tread on FC Porto’s toes, there is no way the clubs can get along with one another. I broke that rule when a certain president started attacking FC Porto without basis. There are things that are working, regarding centralization, where there is understanding between FC Porto and Sporting. Benfica, no. There are others where there is no alignment.”

Creation of a futsal team: “Futsal is a sport that inspires passion, one in which the Portuguese clubs, Sporting and Benfica, are dominant. FC Porto cannot remain indifferent. There is something fundamental, as in women’s football, which is that it is important for things to be sustainable, and that is difficult. Our entry into the futsal landscape is a space we have to occupy, but they have to give us the necessary time. In women’s football we responded positively, by reaching Liga BPI and a cup final. In futsal it is step by step, with a developmental responsibility. We await the proper framework from the FPF regarding the possibility of FC Porto taking advantage of a regulatory change to reach the 3rd division, if that is not possible in the other divisions.”

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