Fernando Veludo / Lusa
FC Porto President André Villas-Boas
“Corruption”, “Sobrency and Hypocrisy.” For the president of FC Porto, “Portuguese football is rotten” – and “courtesy lunches” do not solve the problems.
The president of FC Porto broke the silence after days of controversy in Portuguese football to harshly criticize his rivals and counterparts from Benfica and Sporting – a “carnival” that deserves “a punch on the table” to be given by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).
The “toxic” Rui Costa….
The president of FC Porto defended on Thursday that the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) should give a “firm response” in the face of recent suspicions and criticisms that came up, especially after the Portuguese Cup final.
“I think the time has come for the FPF president to punch the table because we are facing serious suspicions raised,” said André Villas-Boas, on the sidelines of a protocol with the Vila Nova de Gaia Chamber.
Portist leader criticized the statements of Benfica President Rui Costa about arbitration, after the Portuguese Cup final against Sporting, considering them generators of a “Toxic atmosphere”.
“The phrases [de Rui Costa]that I do not know who directs them, are serious and raise several suspicions about Portuguese football. I have not done anything else if I do not warn the President of the League as much as the Federation President that this whole climate reveals nothing good, ”he added.
… And the “SOBRANCE” of Varandas
Villas-Boas also criticized the recent statements of Sporting President Frederico Varandas about the Arbitration Council, classifying them as “unfortunate.”
“Declarations of attack on referees and arbitration council by Sporting president are also unfortunate. He continues to attack referees, one in particular, who curiously missed his team. All this freedom that the Sporting leader has disappointed the inert form that the discipline council and the federation assist all this carnival,” said the president of FC Porto.
The president of Sporting chooses, each time he comes public, condemning the different institutions with a brightness and hypocrisy like I have never seen.
“Portuguese football is rotten”
About the possibility of dialogue between the main clubs, André Villas-Boas proved uninquired, pointing to the lack of leadership and the climate of crispar that is lived among the leaders of the so-called three great
“Portuguese football is” rotten “. The institutions do not collaborate, the big clubs do not sit at the table, there is a clear conflict between the president of the League and the president of the Federation. All speak in Union, but nothing happens indeed,” he noticed.
End of the League Cup: “Lost interest”
The leader also defended structural changes, namely in the Centralization of television rightswarning that its application will have to consider the economic reality of clubs.
“Centralization may benefit smaller clubs, but it is evident that the three large represent most of the market and do not want to lose revenues. Still, they can contribute in other ways,” said Villas-Boas.
Questioned about the competitive model, defended changes, including the League Cup Removaland appealed to serious reflection on the sustainability of the current format, referring games with poor assistance and the need to review travel and calendar.
“Portuguese football cannot continue with games with 500 people in the benches. It is necessary to reassess the model. I defended yesterday (Wednesday) the removal of the league cup, which lost interest,” he said.
The leader of the dragons defended the importance of strong institutional leadership, capable of ending what he classified as a “prolonged impasse” in the management of national football, considering that the absence of concrete measures by the FPF and Liga contributes to the sector’s discredit with supporters and sponsors.
“It is not with courtesy lunches or formal discourses about union that we will solve the structural problems of Portuguese football. We need effective leadership, concrete decisions and accountability. Being up to reports and studies for 90 days is to postpone the inevitable,” he noted.
Asked about the role of clubs in this context, Villas-Boas stated that the associations must take their share of responsibility and abandon postures that they considered “bright and hypocritical”.
“Clubs have to demonstrate ethical and institutional maturity. The current climate of crisp It is fueled by divisionist discourses and contradictory attitudes. Thus it is impossible to achieve any kind of lasting understanding, ”he said.
