Sergio Conceição wants to slam the door of FC Porto!

Second in the LigaBwin standings, ten points behind Benfica, FC Porto are on track to cede their Portuguese championship crown to their Lisbon rival. Not really a surprise, since since the 2016/2017 season, the Dragões have become used to being second one year and champion the following year. Except that it is not the joy in the north of Portugal. Coach of the northern club since the 2017/2018 season after an express stint at FC Nantes, Sergio Conceição is a adored and respected technician at the FCP after having won three championship titles (2018, 2020, 2022), two Portuguese cups (2020, 2022), three Portuguese Supercups (2018, 2020, 2022) and one League Cup (2023). But the latter may have achieved great things with his team, he is not happy. But then not at all.

According to all of the Portuguese press, Conceição threatened to walk out of FC Porto before the end of the season! However, this is not the first time that he has brandished this threat. He did so in January 2020 after losing the League Cup final to Braga (0-1) and a year later, in September 2021, after a rout against Liverpool (1-5). This time, he blames the emblematic portista president (in place since 1982!) Pinto Da Costa for a lack of investment in the first team. Just after the elimination in the round of 16 of the Champions League against Inter last week, Conceição had had very harsh words against his management.

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“Look at everything we have done here, with 30% of the squad B, 40% of players from average teams, like Paços de Ferreira, Santa Clara, Rio Ave, Famalicão… And then my merit is no. (To explain Porto’s failure) they say it’s Otávio’s fault, it’s Taremi who throws himself on the ground, it’s Conceição who is a spoilsport. Hence my protest, my silence! Everyone in Portuguese football needs more, and you have to recognize how much FC Porto did with what they had. These five and a half years have been very difficult, with years of financial fair play, without being able to sign players and only selling to balance the books. It is difficult and there has been very little recognition. » Remarks to which its president responded the day before yesterday.

“It is not true to say that there is a lack of investment. We bought Grujic for 9 million, Veron for 10 million, David Carmo for 20 million and other players like Eustaquio and others. There has been no lack of investment. (…) Everyone who spoke at the time of FC Porto must have shown great frustration. We had the desire to pass, we were convinced it was possible and the game showed that this thought was reasonable. He spoke with frustration. If I had also spoken, I would have been so frustrated”. Record However, we learn that Conceição did not appreciate his superior’s response at all and that their relationship is more strained than ever. Under contract until 2024, the former Nantes coach could well land on the coaching market sooner than expected.