Andre Villas-Boas, the former manager of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, has been elected as the new president of FC Porto, marking the end of Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa’s 42-year tenure.
In a historic election, Villas-Boas secured 21,489 votes, defeating his 86-year-old opponent, who had previously won 15 consecutive elections to lead ‘The Dragons’.
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“This is a historic night for our club, showcasing its resilience and strength,” remarked Villas-Boas in a statement released by Porto.
Villas-Boas achieved remarkable success during his time as Porto’s manager, winning the domestic double and the Europa League in the 2010/11 season without losing a game.
His triumph in the Europa League, where Porto defeated Portuguese rivals Braga, made him the youngest coach ever to win a European club trophy at just 33 years old.
During his campaign, Villas-Boas pledged to appoint former Spanish international goalkeeper Andoni Zubizareta as sporting director and former Portuguese international defender Jorge Costa as head of the football department.
Meanwhile, Pinto da Costa extended the contract of the current head coach, Sergio Conceicao, earlier this week.
Under Pinto da Costa’s leadership, Porto has enjoyed unprecedented success, winning 23 league titles and two European trophies – the European Cup in 1987 and the Champions League in 2004.
However, this season has been challenging for the club, facing financial difficulties off the pitch and struggling to perform on it.
For Villas-Boas, this new role presents a fresh challenge after retiring from coaching, following a tumultuous tenure at Marseille in 2021.
Despite his early promise, particularly highlighted during his time at Porto, Villas-Boas faced setbacks at high-profile clubs like Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as during stints in Russia and China.
