Andre Villas-Boas appears to have switched to a new path in his footballing journey, having been elected president of Portuguese giants FC Porto.
The longest and most successful president in football history globally came to an end on Saturday, April 27, 2024.
Villas-Boas was elected the new president of FC Porto, ending the 42-year reign of now-former President Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa.
Andre Villas-Boas won via a quaking record-breaking victory, as 80% of the total votes went in his favor.
A record turnout of 26,741 voters, smashed the previous record of around 10,000, and that handed the former Zenit St. Petersburg boss a statement triumph.
Following his victory, Villas-Boas expressed in his speech that “FC Porto is free again!”
His assertion is coming following his claims repeated throughout the campaign phase that many of Pinto da Costa’s allies were abusing their positions of influence and power for their gain, against the interests of the club.
Anyway, just like during the campaign period, Andre Villas-Boas avoided directly accusing Pinto da Costa of wrongdoing but rather made a point of appreciating him for the service handed to the club by his predecessor.
FC Porto won 68 trophies and was twice crowned European champions under the presidency of Jorge Pinto.
Andre Villas-Boas victory speech after emerging as President Of FC Porto
Speaking during his victory speech, Villas-Boas said:
“I want to convey my gratitude to Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa for everything he has given to our FC Porto, the life he gave to FC Porto, and guarantee him that it will always be his home.”
The 46-year-old also shared that he is keen on getting down to work in next to no time.
Andre Villas-Boas said: “I hope to correspond fully to the demands of all Portistas: to win, to lift trophies, and to build a sustainable club for the future.
“We have a long mission ahead of us. It will take arduous work in a house that has to be restructured, sorted out, and reorganized.”
Meanwhile, Pinto da Costa did not make any assertion after the loss, handing the duties of reacting to his second-in commander Vítor Baía.
Baia congratulated Villas-Boas and his team, saying: “Congratulations to the list B on their victory. The members have spoken and the decision is unanimous,” said the former goalkeeper.
“Now it’s time to prepare for the future and appeal for union. It’s the end of an incredible legacy of the most important person in FC Porto’s history.”
Moreover, the future of Porto gaffer Sergio Conceicao was also touched on, with the manager lending out his support to Pinto, who as aforementioned was defeated in the recent election.
Speaking on the future of Conceicao, the new principal in charge, Andre Villas-Boas said: “I have no replacement for Sergio Conceicao.
“These are matters that will be dealt with in due course. We have an important game against Sporting tomorrow. We want a result that allows the team to focus on the major goal, which is the Portuguese Cup.”
FC Porto in the 2023/24 Primeira Liga campaign
FC Porto sit 3rd in the Primeira Liga, with 62 points from 30 league matches, with 4 games left to play this season.
The Portuguese side cannot finish in the second spot this term, as Benfica have amassed 76 points this season, while Sporting Lisbon, who sit at the summer of the log, have also picked up 80 points thus far.
Furthermore, Andre Villas-Boas took charge of several teams during his spell as manager, coaching teams like; Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Olympique Marseille, and even FC Porto.
The Portuguese was relatively successful during his coaching career, winning several trophies including; 1 UEFA Europa League, 1 Portuguese Primeira Liga, and 1 Russian Premier League.
