“Thunderous” victory: Villas-Boas puts an end to Pinto da Costa’s “reign” at FC Porto

André Villas-Boas became this Saturday the 34th president in the history of the FC Porto, by winning Saturday’s elections for the governing bodies, with 21,489 votes (80.28%), breaking a cycle of 15 mandates and 42 years of Pinto da Costa. SIC knows that Villas-Boas will officially take office on May 12th, a Sunday.

In the club’s most popular electoral event ever, the former coach of the Porto football team (list B) dethroned the current ‘blue and white’ leader (A), who received 5,224 votes (19.52%), while businessman and professor Nuno Lobo (C) repeated his position as the third and last most voted candidate achieved in 2020, by accumulating 53 (0.2%).

According to the president of the Board of the General Assembly, José Lourenço Pinto, there were also 73 blank votes and 37 null votes, on a day in which a record 26,876 members were at Estádio do Dragão, in Porto, to elect the governing bodies towards the quadrennium 2024-2028.

The unprecedented election of André Villas-Boas, aged 46, implies the end of the presidential “reign” of Pinto da Costa, aged 86, who had already commanded FC Porto since April 17, 1982, becoming, since then, the manager with the most titles and longevity in world football.

“FC Porto is free again”

During the early hours of the morning, Villas-Boas made his first statement as president-elect and thanked his partners for the “thunderous” victory.

“I am very happy, proud and honored. I hope to meet all the demands, which is to win titles and sustain our club for the future. Porto is alive and showed all its strength today. Thank you very much for everything”, said the new leader of the dragons, who celebrated “a historic night” for the club that he classified as “the bastion of the northern region”.

Pinto da Costa, who leaves the club after 15 terms and an incomparable legacy – were he not the most titled president in the world of football – was not forgotten during Villas-Boas’ speech, who promises to welcome the one who was once his leader open arms in the Dragon.

“I want to thank him for everything he gave to the club, for the life he gave to Porto. And I guarantee that this is and will always be your home.”

The leader also stressed that there is “a long mission ahead”, in reference to the problems – mainly financial – that he mentioned throughout the campaign. “It’s a house that must be tidy, structured and organized.”

“Today Porto is free again. Today is a day when we begin to write a new and victorious page in the history of Porto, of the members and for the members. A Porto that will be competitive, that leads by example, a winning Porto”.