Villas-Boas tears into Sporting: “At the Dragão, another petty episode” | OneFootball

Sporting once again became the focus of criticism from André Villas-Boas in the latest edition of Dragões magazine, released this Thursday. In the publication, the FC Porto president makes several accusations against the Alvalade club, touching on issues ranging from football to handball and referring to recent controversies.

“There are those going around selling the idea that ‘if VAR had existed earlier’ they would have won more titles at their beloved club. It is a recurring and telling lament. Telling because, with VAR or without VAR, there was one reality those ‘wronged parties’ had to swallow: in their time, FC Porto won the European Cup, won the Champions League, won the UEFA Cup, won the Europa League, and won the Intercontinental Cup twice! It was national champion, two-time champion, three-time champion, four-time champion, five-time champion. And that trauma, apparently, has not gone away. It itches. It bothers them. And that is why at the Dragão we witnessed yet another episode of that small-mindedness: the choice of a discreet entrance, through the back door, to avoid facing head-on the weight of FC Porto’s History. When History weighs heavily, some prefer not to face it. We live with it every day, because we built it with our sweat and the demanding standards that set us apart, something that, for them, will always be unattainable, with VAR or without VAR,” fired Villas-Boas, referring to the controversy that preceded the recent classic in the second leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals, in which Sporting asked to access the dressing room via a different route than usual – FC Porto’s international trophies were on display in the main corridor.

“Added to that discomfort is the episode of FC Porto-Sporting in handball. And here I want to leave a clear message: FC Porto is absolutely calm and cooperating with justice,” assures AVB, adding: “It has everything that happened, what was done and what was not done, thoroughly documented. And those involved who chose insult and the attempt to tarnish the institution will answer for it to the fullest extent. At FC Porto, defending the club is not an emotional reaction: it is a firm, sustained, and documented position. And whoever chooses to attack the institution will have to pay the price for those choices. All of this got to the point where they were begging for urgent meetings at the highest political level. And when sport reaches this level of degradation, the country should understand the scale of the problem or the inferiority complex of some. What we then saw was the portrait of a strange time: scripts read off paper by a president so as not to miss the narrative of his communication advisers, and a communication machine permanently mobilized to manufacture perceptions, as if football were a studio and not a game,” blasted the Dragons’ leader, pointing at Frederico Varandas.

André Villas-Boas also speaks about a “phenomenon that has been occurring” this season: the distortion of public opinion. “But this phenomenon that has been seen this season happens not only with FC Porto, but also with referees who, inadvertently, make mistakes against Sporting. On channels aligned with the green mantle, referees are dissected in every one of their decisions, as if a mistake were a betrayal of the Lisbon club and as if public pressure were a legitimate instrument for ‘correcting’ the game. This, yes, seems to be the new ‘system’ in Portuguese football: conditioning perceptions, conditioning environments, conditioning decisions. Today it is the penalty episode, tomorrow it is the rebound, then the ‘pedagogical’ card, next the white card, and the truth of the game ends up hostage to whichever way the script is blowing,” added the Porto president.

In closing, AVB comes out in defense of Francesco Farioli and leaves a message of unity to the blue-and-white universe. “To this is added a countless number of personal and professional attacks on our coach, Francesco Farioli, by different pundits. Some without a journalist’s license and being merely commentators, others who do not even respect their own credentials and are journalists one moment and conveniently commentators the next, attack with hatred, foul language, and insinuations that, in any minimally serious context, would be unacceptable. Farioli works, shows his face, leads, takes risks, takes responsibility. And for that very reason, he becomes a target. But let me make this very clear: FC Porto protects its own. And it protects them firmly, because here, ‘in the North,’ our own are untouchable. But the focus is on what matters most. The championship is here. The last step is here. So close and yet so far at the same time. And the response must be the same as always: focus, unity, and work. No celebrating. No distractions. No noise, but with the need for all your strength. I’m counting on you,” Villas-Boas concluded.

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