The champion is back. After beating FC Alverca (1–0) this Saturday at Estádio do Dragão, on Matchday 32 of the league, FC Porto secured the 31st title in their history, and Francesco Farioli admitted he was “very happy for everyone, for this group, for everyone working at the club, for the president, for Jorge Costa, and for all those who deserve a night like this after several years without this title.” Stressing that Jorge Costa “was our strength throughout the entire season”, the Italian coach added that celebrating in front of the blue and white family “couldn’t be better.” “Now we’re going to celebrate because we deserve it,” he said.

On winning the title
“There are so many emotions. Now I need to try to relax a bit because I was fully focused on the game until the final minute. Jorge [Costa] was there with some crucial defensive interventions for us. I’m very happy for everyone, for this group, for everyone working at the club, for the president, for Jorge Costa, and for all those who deserve a night like this after several years without this title.”

Jorge Costa’s strength and DNA
“He was our strength throughout the entire season. One of the last things he said was that we had become a team again, and this team fought to honour his last words. We did everything we could, and he helped us from above. Today’s defensive displays carry Jorge’s DNA, but his presence has always been with us. Unfortunately, he’s not with us physically, but he’s always in our minds and in our hearts.”

The celebrations after the final whistle
“I didn’t think about it and didn’t plan anything, I just wanted to make sure the team had the right energy to get where we wanted. Now we’re going to take in all these emotions.”

Champions at home
“We had different moments throughout the season, but we’re very happy to celebrate in front of our fans. It couldn’t be better.”

Accepting André Villas-Boas’ invitation
“The best thing I did was accept the president’s invitation at the start of the season. That was the one thing I got absolutely right.”

Last season at Ajax
“I’m the same person, this is football. Now we’re going to celebrate because we deserve it.”

A strong connection with the president
“This title involves a lot of people. With the president, it took us three minutes to connect with each other. We’ve had a strong connection from the very beginning, not just with him, but also with other board members like Tiago Madureira and Henrique Monteiro. I’m very happy for the blue and white family and for the team, who deserve all of this.”

The blue and white family members at home
“My two sons are incredible FC Porto fans. They’ve been at every home game, and today it was special to celebrate with them and have them here with me in such a unique moment. Sharing all of this with my family makes it even more special.”

Tribute to Jorge Costa
“It was perfect to celebrate at home, with our families and our fans. The celebration and the tribute to Jorge Costa were very special. Everyone was emotional, and his family was here as well. It was truly very, very special.”

A special painting for the FC Porto Museum
“When the referee blew the final whistle, it didn’t hit me straight away what we had achieved. There’s a painting that I believe will soon go to the Museum, on the day Jorge Costa passed away, the president wrote ‘For Jorge’ on it. Everyone signed it, and that showed the commitment we’ve had since day one. We went through difficult moments, moments of success, and moments where we had to stick together and overcome adversity, but the most important thing is that we got to the end and gave Jorge the 31st title on this 2nd of May.”

The pre-match team talk
“My message before today’s game was about the scars we all carried from the past. Those scars made us stronger and created a sense of unity. We came together, and today we got what we deserved.”

Two games remaining
“We’re aiming at reaching 91 points, but for now, we’re going to celebrate.”