Villas-Boas backs players taunting Varandas and Sporting: They'd heard... | OneFootball

André Villas-Boas reacted this Wednesday to the taunts aimed by Porto players at Frederico Varandas, Sporting’s president, during the title celebrations, acknowledging that this kind of statement often ends up serving as motivation in the dressing room.

Upon arriving at a dinner with Porto-supporting members of parliament at the Assembly of the Republic, the blue-and-white president downplayed the incidents and explained that, as a coach, he also used opponents’ remarks to motivate his players.

"Look, these are title celebrations, there are excesses, there is emotion, emotions are visceral because they are tied to what the championship was, the story of the championship. So I cannot deny that the players will have heard the Sporting president’s words a few times during the season and that this may have served as motivation. So I, as a coach and leader, also used these little slips by opponents, so to speak, to give us motivation. And surely Farioli did the same with his players. That is why the players ended up venting all those emotions they were feeling in an emotional way".

For his part, Villas-Boas was also asked about any possible preference regarding which club will finish the Liga Portugal Betclic season in second place, between Sporting and Benfica, at a time when the Lions depend only on themselves to remain in that position in the table.

"No. And it seems to me that the round that has just passed may have been decisive. For Porto it does not make much difference one way or the other. It is good for Porto to have been crowned national champions," assured the Dragons’ top leader, without showing any favoritism.

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