Villas-Boas slams Varandas: “Hypocrisy and selective memory” | OneFootball

André Villas-Boas responded to the statements made by Frederico Varandas following Sporting's 4-1 victory over V. Guimarães, describing them as "hypocrisy." In the editorial of the magazine Dragões, released this Wednesday, the president of FC Porto accused his counterpart from Alvalade of "selective memory."

"The President of Sporting had yet another of his usual outbursts, full of hypocrisy and selective memory about the history of Portuguese football. Assuming he was favored in the Azores, twice, he discreetly decided to ignore all the other episodes where, by mere misfortune, his club benefited from errors that, in his opinion, can happen on any field. He says that at Sporting they are different and that when they benefit, they come forward and admit it; everything else is just normal game situations," it reads.

"Last season, against Estoril, Pepê received the ball behind the defense and had a clear path to score, but saw Pedro Amaral injure his thigh. Instead of continuing the play, Pepê stopped, lifted the ball, and called the medical team, showing concern for the opponent. This gesture went around the world and was recognized by the League and the FPF as the fair play act of the year. The 12-minute VAR failure and the incomprehensible decision made afterward should have been enough for a revolution and a deep audit of VAR technology and the arbitration decision criteria adopted this season, but they should also have been enough to make the Sporting captain reflect and admit that it is wrong to fall in the area and unfairly win a penalty from a finger touch on the face. By doing so, he would indeed be different; by ignoring it, he ended up confirming the level of hypocrisy in which the discourse of his club's president lives."

"That is why, in the case of FC Porto, we have built an identity dimension that distinguishes us from others by being, for decades, the 'Man in the Arena' of Portuguese football, the two-time European and world champion that in national territory faces the established powers and the constant devaluation of its players, its coaches, and its achievements. We now enter the festive period with a simple and essential idea: FC Porto is stronger when united. The dream of the title is not a slogan; it is a goal achieved with work, rigor, and courage," concludes Villas-Boas.

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