Villas-Boas scared of ‘Mourinho’s Ghost’? Rubbish!
“Villas-Boas was living with Mourinho’s ghost. He was afraid he would not have the same success as in his first season. I think that was the crucial aspect in his departure,” said Pinto da Costa.
“In a conversation between the two of us I said ‘Are you worried about shipping three or four goals against FC Barcelona (in the European Super Cup)? Mourinho shipped five but that does not mean he is no longer the best coach in the world.’
“On the day he officially left I slept well because everything had been planned for. Villas-Boas rescinded his contract at 4pm and at 5pm I was presenting his replacement. I already had Vitor Pereira as back-up. Even before Villas-Boas knew himself he was going to leave, I suspected that he would be leaving.
“If I was his father I would have told him what I told him as his president and his friend: that he should stay at FC Porto one more year. In football, when you talk about European giants, the measure is not Chelsea. It’s Real Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester United. I told him that this would be Guardiola’s last season at Barcelona and that was the ideal club for him, but he was scared of the comparisons with Mourinho and left.”
I’m not exactly sure what da Costa is getting at here and it seems a bizarre statement to make, why would Villas-Boas go to Chelsea, a club that’s probably more associated with Mourinho than Porto is, because he’s intimidated by what Jose has done there previously? I think the Porto president is talking a load of crap and it’s poor form from him as he’s coming across as quite bitter. Villas-Boas had a release fee in his contract for a reason, it was triggered and Porto has no right to be bitter.
Villas-Boas doesn’t exactly strike me as the type to be intimidated by taking on a challenge and I’d say there is more pressure at Chelsea than there is at Porto, especially as we’re competing in a much stronger league.