This is a love story that should never end.
André Villas-Boas and Porto are linked for eternity.
The coach of Olympique de Marseille was born in the district of Boavista, located in the north-west of Porto.
The 43-year-old Portuguese, from a bourgeois family close to the club, grew up in the city of Porto.
And his passion for the city's flagship club has always existed.
"I have been a fan of Porto since I was born"
André Villas-Boas
"I have been a fan of Porto since I was born, my uncle Luis took me to the stadium," Villas-Boas told AFP.
As a child, “my grandmother's husband, whom I consider to be my real grandfather, made me a FC Porto player from my birth,” he said.
But ultimately, he was linked to the club even before he was born.
"The two uncles of my English grandmother, Margaret Kendall, were with Nicolau d'Almeida among the founders of FC Porto in 1893," AVB recalled.
They even figure in the very first team of FC Porto, Albert and Alfred Kendall ”.
The first in defense and the second in attack.
A decisive meeting with Bobby Robson
Villas-Boas remembers Porto's first Champions League victory at 9 in 1987 (2-1 against Bayern Munich).
The young boy was "with his family in my grandfather's house for this great moment with (the goals of) Madjer (the famous heel, ed) and Juary".
"Around 14, 15 years old, I was with the Super Dragoes"
André Villas-Boas
A fervent supporter, he spent his adolescence in the ultras: “Around 14 or 15, I was with the Super Dragoes.
Growing up I wanted to be in the hottest part of the supporters, I started going to the Superior Sud, the ultras platform at Das Antas.
We were a little excited, we were living the big rivalries with Sporting and Benfica intensely ”.
But the teenager does not dream of becoming a player.
“I was not talented,” he admits with a smile.
Another career then opened up before him.
A decisive and legendary meeting in 1994 which will change everything.
“When I was 16, I approached Bobby Robson, the coach at the time.
I was coming home from school on my bike, I put it in my garage, and I see his car coming.
I gain a little courage to challenge him, ask him why Domingos (Paciência), my favorite player, does not play when he always makes the difference when he comes off the bench, he develops.
Touched, the English technician "invites me to come and see the training sessions, I feel little by little more passion for the function".
AVB then becomes an observer of FC Porto's opponents, and, advised by his mentor, begins training as a coach.
The beginning of its history.
Mourinho's deputy who "changed his life"
After his short experience as coach of the British Virgin Islands in 2000, Villas-Boas then crossed paths with another great coach, José Mourinho.
“When José arrived in Porto (2002), I was training the U12s.
At the club, you follow your players from class to class when you're a coach, and then you start again, the technician recalled.
It was my year to resume with the little ones, I was a little frustrated by that.
I asked José to give me an opportunity, he gave it to me, and it changed my life, ”he admits.
"André (Villas-Boas) is my eyes and my ears"
Jose mourinho
As an assistant to “Mou”, he lifted the 2004 Champions League (second and last Porto C1 won 3-0 against Monaco) and also won the Portuguese Championship and Super Cup.
Terrific treble.
Subsequently, the deputy follows Mourinho to Chelsea from 2004 to 2008, then to Inter Milan from 2008 to 2009. The “Special One” declares about him: “He is my eyes and my ears”.
The historic quadruplet in 2011 with Porto as main coach and with "a pornographic team"
In 2009, he launched into the grain bath and became head coach of the Portuguese club Académica de Coimbra.
AVB made his debut in the first division against Portimonense on October 18, 2009, at only 32 years and 1 day old.
His team, which was in difficulty when it arrived, progressed and finished 7th in the Championship.
He was then courted by Sporting Portugal, but signed for FC Porto the following season.
"A pornographic team"
André Villas-Boas
The latter therefore returned to Porto as the number one coach for the 2010-2011 season and began with an incredible quadruplet in the Portuguese Cup (Porto's 16th against Vitória de Guimarães on the river score of 6-2), Portuguese Supercup (the 17th won 2-0 against Benfica), Portuguese Championship (20th coronation marked by the memorable 5-0 victory against Benfica on November 7, 2010 and the 1-2 success at Benfica on April 3, 2011) and Europa League (the 2nd won 1-0 against Braga thanks to Radamel Falcao's 17th goal), with "a pornographic team", he laughs, "with Hulk, Falcao, James Rodriguez, Moutinho, Fernando, Otamendi ... One of the best teams in the world. world".
Villas-Boas has always written the history of his club and his own.
At the age of 33 years and 213 days, he became the youngest coach to triumph in a European competition.
What makes him the worthy heir of Mourinho and bears the nickname of "Special Two".
He achieves a historic feat that even the "Special One" has not succeeded in command of the port club.
His one year as Porto coach from 2010 to 2011 is nothing short of impressive.
His team arranged in 4-3-3 is wreaking havoc.
FC Porto is statistically the best team in Europe with a record of 27 wins to 3 draws and no defeats in the Championship this season.
His record with his heart club is exceptional.
The statistics speak for themselves: 49 wins, 5 draws and 4 losses.
Sensational.
Spends abroad before coming back better… as president?
Subsequently, the Portuguese coach flew to mixed experiences at Chelsea and Tottenham then successful at Zenit Saint Petersburg (Russian champion in 2015, winner of the 2015 Russian Supercup and 2016 Russian Cup) and at the club of the Port of Shanghai, SIPG (vice-champion of China 2017).
During its first season in Marseille (2019-2020), AVB allows the Marseille club to replay the Champions League after 7 years of absence by finishing second in Ligue 1. And to find themselves in the C1 group stage against their FC Porto Tuesday evening (9 p.m., RMC Sport, Téléfoot).
To challenge Porto, "it's hard, because on the other side you always have people you are linked to, there is your family next door ... But you maintain the professionalism, you try to win, and that's fine. be the same on Tuesday, ”he promised.
Porto, the club where his future could be written.
It all started there and it could well end on his land in a whole different role.
Indeed, he would like to become ... president of his club.
"He is a socio who has the capacity, it would be a good option for FC Porto", admitted this summer Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, at the helm since 1982. His future and his destiny already seem all mapped out.
FC Porto forever.
André Villas-Boas painted by an artist from Marseille
Villas-Boas never beat Porto
André Villas-Boas will face his club for the first time since 2009. In four meetings at the head of Academica Coimbra, AVB has never won against FC Porto, which he finds with Marseille on Tuesday for the third day of the Champions League.
Against the Dragons, he has three losses and one draw.
Back to his previous confrontations.
October 25, 2009: Porto 3-2 Academica Coimbra in Portuguese Liga
For his second game at the helm of Coimbra, his first experience as number one coach, the young technician of 28, challenges Porto at the Dragon stadium.
“It was a curious match,” he told AFP.
I put a team in 4-3-3, I remember well.
We controlled the game, we didn't have too many chances but neither did Porto.
Except that they had an exceptional quality, we arrived at half-time at 0-0, but they accelerated and put two goals quickly ”, by Mariano Gonzalez (64th) and Ernesto Farias (67th).
Miguel Pedro (75th) reduced the score, but Farias signed a double (81st), before a goal from the former Marseillais Modou Sougou (90th).
"We change to a system with three defenders to try to make the 3-3, but we did not have the time," he said.
January 13 and February 10, 2010: Porto 0-0 Academica Coimbra in the League Cup group match and Porto 1-0 Academica Coimbra in the semi-finals of the League Cup
“Porto also takes us out in the Coupe de la Ligue, 0-0 in the group stage and 1-0 in the semi-finals,” AVB recalled.
It's a shame, because this 0-0 was an interesting game. ”
The coach has a more difficult memory of the knockout phase, where, after a good run in the hens, the club from the university town does not go very far from a historic final.
“The half was tough, because we had a very good match, and Mariano (82nd), who was coming back from injury, scored perhaps the best goal of his career in Porto, on a ball from left to entering the penalty area ”, regretted Villas-Boas.
March 13, 2010: Academica Coimbra 1-2 Porto in Portuguese Liga
Villas-Boas face the “Dragoes” for the fourth time this season, in Coimbra in La Liga.
"I never managed to beat them ... luckily!"
he said bursting out laughing.
This time, Academica leads, on a penalty from former Olympian Modou Sougou (33rd).
But Bruno Alves (36th) equalizes and the Uruguayan Cristian Rodriguez offers victory to Porto at the end of the match (87th).
“We were a small team, with not the same ambitions.
You want to try to win a point, ”he summed up.
These first confrontations, "it was difficult, but I was too young, it was the start of my career", he pleaded.
His fifth face to face this Tuesday evening may be the right one.
Especially since OM, last in the group with two defeats in two matches, need a victory to still hope to qualify for the knockout stages of C1.
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