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Sergio Conceição’s final stance at Porto does not require any additional tension or theatrics. However, as the coach gets ready for Tuesday’s Champions League match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg, it still has all the ingredients.
The Porto team is facing inner turmoil and upheaval, with tension and disagreement being prevalent, and difficult inquiries being raised. The source of these issues can be traced back to the upcoming presidential election on April 27th, where 86-year-old Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa will be vying for reelection.
The longest serving president in world football first took office in 1982 and he has strolled back in over and over again. But now, as Porto contend with financial problems and debt, taking money upfront against the future sales of TV rights and season tickets, there is – for the first time in a long while – a serious alternative.
It is André Villas-Boas, the former Chelsea and Tottenham manager, who is Porto born and bred and an authentic club hero. He was the manager there for only one season but what a season it was. Villas-Boas’s 2010-11 team won the league by 21 points without losing – their record in full was P30 W27 D3 – while they added the Europa League and the Taça de Portugal.
Villas-Boas holds the belief that Porto’s performance has had a concerning decline under Pinto da Costa’s leadership, with noticeable shortcomings in areas such as scouting and recruitment. While not everyone shares this view, efforts have been made to intimidate Villas-Boas. His headquarters were vandalized and offensive graffiti was spray painted on the walls of his family’s abode. There was also an incident where the caretaker of his residence was violently assaulted and had his vehicle stolen.
The lowest point was reached on 13 November during Porto’s general meeting when supporters loyal to Pinto da Costa instigated a hostile environment by threatening and physically assaulting members who expressed opposition towards proposed changes to the statute. On 31 January, authorities apprehended 12 individuals believed to be involved, including Fernando Madureira, the head of the Super Dragões fan club. He is still in custody, awaiting trial.
The Porto district attorney general’s office has reported that the individuals arrested are facing charges for assault, aggravated coercion, threats, and attacks on freedom of information. Cecília Pedroto, the wife of former Porto player and manager José Maria Pedroto, emphasized the need to investigate the instances of physical violence and members being forced to flee out of fear for their safety. She referred to it as Porto’s “darkest day”, a sentiment shared by Villas-Boas.
Conceição is in his seventh season as manager. He made his name as a player at Porto, winning the league three times and the trophy count in his current role stands at 10, including three more league titles. Only one manager has won more in Portuguese football – Jorge Jesus with 12 trophies. In May last year, Conceição took charge of his 323rd Porto game, surpassing Pedroto’s club record. The second leg against Arsenal will be No 365.
This season has presented endless challenges, with off-field stresses taking their toll. The responsibility falls on the manager to protect the team, but their abilities are limited. Conceição will most likely depart in the summer, not only because his contract is expiring, but also because there have been no discussions for a new agreement. This has been impossible due to the uncertainty over who will be the next president.
Conceição is nearing the conclusion of his current phase and is ready for a fresh challenge. He undoubtedly wishes to join a club where everything is not a constant struggle, giving him the opportunity to build over a longer period of time without the constant need to sell his top players.
During his time at Porto, Conceição has generated a total of €573.45m through transfer fees, with some major deals standing out. The highest earning transfer being Otávio’s move to Al-Nassr for €60m in the previous summer. Other notable transfers include Vitinha’s €41.5m move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2022, Luis Díaz’s €47m transfer to Liverpool in January of the same year, and Éder Militão’s €50m switch to Real Madrid in 2019. Conceição has a strong track record when it comes to success compared to the amount spent.
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Porto is currently trailing the top team, Sporting, by seven points in the title race. However, their dominant 5-0 win against second-place Benfica at home brought them some much-needed momentum. They have also secured a spot in the semi-finals of the Taça de Portugal and will be facing Vitória Guimarães. The real excitement, however, lies in their chance to advance to the next round of the Champions League and potentially defeat an English club for the second time in their history. The first instance was in 2003-04, led by José Mourinho, when they won against Manchester United in the round of 16 and eventually lifted the trophy.
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Conceição’s ultimate goal is to secure victory in the Champions League, and he executed his strategies perfectly in the initial match against Arsenal. His 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation was compact yet agile in transitioning, and the defense was suffocating. He made it a priority to shut down Martin Ødegaard and the entire Arsenal team during set pieces, and he successfully completed both tasks.
Conceição was satisfied with how his team performed, as they were able to successfully execute a gameplan that differed greatly from their usual approach in domestic matches, where the opposing team often plays defensively. Additionally, Transfermarkt values Porto’s starting team at €168m, which is €25m lower than the amount Arsenal spent on acquiring Declan Rice and Kai Havertz during the previous summer. Arsenal did not manage to get any shots on target during this match.
Conceição was greatly angered by a comment made by Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, and the overall response to the game in London. This response focused on Porto’s use of unethical tactics. Arteta stated that Porto had no interest in playing, and Conceição is undoubtedly driven by this insult. Is it fair for Arsenal to dictate the “correct” way to play football?
Conceição has long embraced the siege mentality at Porto – it is them and their city against the establishment in the capital, Lisbon, where the national media is based; Sporting and Benfica, too. He has always been an intensely passionate person, who uses adversity and conflict as fuel.
As a child in Coimbra, financial resources were scarce for him. At the age of 16, he faced the emotional hardship of losing his father, followed by the loss of his mother soon after. Football was his all-consuming passion, and he had to constantly strive for success. A failure in the sport still triggers negative emotions in him, even now.
Conceição has attracted plenty of suitors on the back of his work at Porto, including Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli and Lazio, and last summer he turned down an approach from Al-Hilal that would have paid €34m over two years, with the option of an extra year. He is likely to be hot property this summer, doors opening and not only because he is a Jorge Mendes client. For now, though, only the Arsenal tie matters. It will be emotional.
Source: theguardian.com
