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"We are FC Porto, the most decorated Portuguese club across national and international football competitions, a level of excellence attainable only by a club like ours. We meet tonight with pride in our achievements and with the responsibility of those who know how much it has taken to get here," the club president began.
In a speech also marked by memories, Villas-Boas praised the club's former presidents and dedicated special words to Jorge Costa, whose absence did not go unnoticed.
"We have lost a friend, a captain and an example of courage. His contribution remains very much alive in the championship we won last year," he said.
Turning to the club's current footballing affairs, the blue-and-whites' president stressed that success cannot lead to complacency and highlighted the achievements recorded throughout the 2025/26 season.
"If we do not hide when we fail, we cannot be complacent when we win. The responsibility is the same and the commitment continues. The 2025/26 season has been a year of the Dragon. Alongside our 31st title, we added the under-19, under-17 and under-15 championships. A historic clean sweep. The reserves equaled the points record in Liga Portugal 2, we won the women's title and reached the Portuguese Cup final."
Villas-Boas also highlighted Francesco Farioli's role in winning the championship and emphasized not only the Italian coach's technical work but also his human qualities.
"The merit of our coach, Francesco Farioli, lies not only in his methods and knowledge of the game, but also in his ability to unite people, listen and make the players believe in the importance of their contribution. The title reflects the quality and rigor of his work, as well as his excellent man-management. The trust this family has built with him also recognizes his humanity."
Another central topic of the speech was FC Porto's future high-performance center in Vila Nova de Gaia. André Villas-Boas announced concrete progress on the project.
"I can proudly tell you that the new high-performance center in Gaia now has the necessary license to begin construction. It will be a fundamental facility for FC Porto's development and growth. We want to leave FC Porto better prepared to win tomorrow," he confirmed.
To conclude, the president delivered a firm message about defending the club institutionally. He said they were open to criticism, but not to being treated differently.
"Defending this institution requires firmness on and off the field. We accept criticism, scrutiny and differences of opinion, but we will not accept respect for FC Porto depending on the convenience of whoever is speaking. We are not asking to be spared; we are asking for everyone to be criticized rigorously. We will not allow the noise to distract us, but neither will we leave the club undefended," he concluded.