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April 27, 2024 could be a landmark date in the life of FC Porto. At least the elections, which have been going on for 42 years now, will be more discussed at the polls. There are three candidates, including Nuno Lobo, but victory seems to be destined for one of two men: Pinto da Costa or André Villas-Boas.
FC Porto goes to the vote this Saturday and, for the first time since 1982, it is not just a bureaucratic act to consecrate Pinto da Costa. At 86 years old, the most titled sports leader in the world faces the young André Villas-Boas, 46 years old, 40 years less than what the current president’s Citizen Card shows, who was re-elected 14 times.
Pinto da Costa had to dedicate himself and dedicate himself to interviews and campaign actions like never before in order to capitalize on the sporting successes achieved (2566 titles) in these four decades, having, in recent days, presented Sérgio’s renewal as an asset Conceição, an agreement with Pepe for another year, in addition to the signing of Francisco Conceição, foreseen at the time of the transfer made by Ajax at the beginning of the season.
O NOVO will try to demonstrate what the two candidates think on the most varied topics and the main ideas that can help FC Porto members to decide, and it is worth remembering that, unlike Benfica and Sporting, each blue-and-white member corresponds to one vote, regardless of seniority.
SOCCER
Pinto da Costa announced the renewal, for another four years, of Sérgio Conceição, and it remains to be seen whether this relationship could be null and void if Villas-Boas is elected by the members. The president of FC Porto since 1982 also added to the renewal of the blue-and-white coach the renewal of Pepe for another year and the hiring of Francisco Conceição, with a contract valid until 2029. The current president also said that Luís Gonçalves will maintain himself as an administrator for football and recalled that Vítor Baía and António Oliveira, candidates for vice-presidents, are people linked to the sport.
André Villas-Boas presented a structure with something new: the position of sporting director will be occupied by the Spaniard Andoni Zubizarreta, who already performed the same functions at Barcelona and Marseille where he crossed paths with the now candidate for president. Former captain Jorge Costa, if Villas-Boas wins, will leave his coaching career and will be the football director of the professional teams, liaising between the main team and the B and under-19 teams. As far as Sérgio Conceição is concerned, he wants to have a conversation, but he always implied that the coach had to integrate into the structure and identify with the philosophy he wants to see implemented at FC Porto. In other words, the possibility of cohabitation between Villas-Boas and Conceição seems far away.
ACADEMY/HIGH PERFORMANCE CENTER
Maybe it’s a semantic divergence, but what Pinto da Costa calls Academia Villas-Boas calls the High Performance Center. This has been one of the biggest differences between the two lists.
Pinto da Costa wants to build an infrastructure in Maia with 20 hectares, a stadium for 2,500 people, eight lawns, 70 double rooms, parking and support structures. Its objective, at least as far as we know, is not to host the club’s remaining modalities.
André Villas-Boas wants to build a High Performance Center for all modalities. There will be 30 hectares in Olival, where football teams already train, with five football pitches, a pavilion for professional sports, a hotel and support structures.
FINANCE
Pinto da Costa assured members, in this electoral campaign, that he will execute three objectives: to double the club’s revenue in three years, with an annual increase of 25% in revenue through investment in the internationalization of the FCP brand; 20% reduction in total costs from the first year, through the restructuring of the group’s companies, with no need to pay management bonuses and a representation and operating cost policy will be created that guarantees effectiveness, sustainability, rigor and transparency absolutes; refinancing of liabilities, through a financial debt instrument of 250 million euros that will simultaneously reduce debt service and reinforce the competitiveness of the football team.
José Fernando Figueiredo will be the financial administrator of FC Porto SAD, replacing Fernando Gomes, economist and senior consultant at the World Bank, who previously led Banco de Fomento. João Rafael Koehler will be vice-president of the financial area. Meanwhile, FC Porto signed an agreement with the company Ithaka, which will inject 65 million euros in exchange for 30% of the rights over the next 25 years of a new company that will dedicate itself to increasing the commercial potential of Estádio do Dragão.
André Villas-Boas guarantees that there are three “world-renowned” banks interested in renegotiating FC Porto’s debt and says that FC Porto is facing a “sad financial scenario” as a result of 512 million euros in liabilities and 223 million euros in debt.
Villas-Boas says there is an urgent need for “deep financial restructuring” and guarantees that there are “huge challenges in the immediate treasury”. He is also concerned about the anticipation of revenue made by Pinto da Costa and the relationship with the Quadrantis fund, which includes João Rafael Koehler, candidate for vice president on Pinto da Costa’s list. That’s why, perhaps, he says that the current leader “is a hostage” of the businessman. Villas-Boas’ CFO is José Pedro Pereira da Costa, former executive administrator of NOS.
MODALITIES
Pinto da Costa wants to reinforce the focus on existing modalities – Handball, Basketball, Roller Hockey, Volleyball, Billiards, Boxing, Swimming and Adapted Sports – and wants to complete the feasibility study to define the implementation of Futsal. It also plans to enter Surfing through partnerships.
André Villas-Boas It also wishes to launch Futsal in the medium term and recover men’s Volleyball, in addition to maintaining its focus on other existing sports.
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
Pinto da Costa During the next term, he intends to have a senior team that will fight to win titles.
André Villas-Boas goes further. He wants to create the women’s football department, designate the role of director of the respective department and says it is essential for FC Porto to assert itself at the level of achievements in national and international women’s football championships.
LIMITATION OF TERM AND REMUNERATION
There is no known idea of Pinto da Costa regarding term limits, but André Villas-Boas has already made it known that he wants to put this idea into practice by revising the statutes.
André Villas-Boas himself has alluded to Rui Costa, president of Benfica, to explain why he does not intend to be remunerated as president of the SAD Board of Directors. And he also guarantees lower salaries for the Board of Directors. As is known, since SAD was created, Pinto da Costa has always been paid, even though one of his proposals is now to reduce administration salaries.
