Villas-Boas rues Dragão 'robbery': “Sporting Cup laid it bare” | OneFootball

André Villas-Boas used the editorial in the latest issue of Dragões magazine to assess the month of April, a period in which FC Porto bowed out of the Europa League and the Portuguese Cup, but took an important step in the fight for the national title.

“April was a month of testing. A month of decisions, pressure and maximum demands. It was also a month that brought us to the position we occupy today. To take the final step, we all have to be united. United in the stands, united in the dressing room and united around our symbol. Because at this stage, the league is not ‘played’: it is won. And it is only won with absolute focus. In the Europa League, we were eliminated, yes. But anyone who watched the match knows that the group showed what it means to be Porto. Playing with 10 men for around 80 minutes and seeing players give everything, run to the limit, suffer and believe it was still possible to turn the tie around is the best proof of what this team has been so far. A Porto team, one that does not shy away from risk, does not shy away from responsibility and does not hide behind excuses. Those who want to make History step onto the pitch with a greater purpose and, since the start of this sporting season, FC Porto has done nothing but seek glory with all its strength,” it reads.

Villas-Boas described the Portuguese Cup as the “Sporting Cup”. “In the ‘Sporting Cup’, against Sporting, we fell by the wayside. And, once again, what we have been feeling throughout the entire season was laid bare: FC Porto has to overcome not only its opponents, but also the unpredictable and chaotic side of the game, in yet another match that makes you want to say: ‘It’s rare, but it happens a lot.’ That is why I say to you with complete clarity: in the league we have to give everything. At FC Porto, we only celebrate when we win. That is what we were raised on and that is why we have always been feared. Here there is no premature euphoria. There is demand, there is concentration, there is commitment and there is only one certainty: if we really want to win, we have to pull out all the stops in these last three matches to achieve what we have dreamed of so much,” he wrote.

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