Porto President Makes Bizarre Claim, Slams Sunderland and Burnley

The market's growth is undeniable, and several previously uncompetitive teams have found their niche, investing and competing against today's big clubs, such as Sunderland.

IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

At a very interesting moment of the season, Sunderland know they are competing in the best way in the Premier League.

Even though it is one of the most competitive leagues currently, they have not fallen behind and have achieved very good results. Much of this is due to the work of Regis Le Bris, the coach who has led the team in pursuit of a very competitive goal.

Currently occupying position number 11 in the league, Sunderland know they must keep improving if they want to compete among the best and reach the ninth position.

With 11 points from seven matches played so far, as indicated by SofaScore statistics, the team's performance has been positive, even competing against some of the best teams in the world.

FC Porto director criticizes market that forces them to compete with clubs like Sunderland

The competition has also reached another level, as one of the strongest criticisms in recent days came from the president of FC Porto, Andre Villas-Boas. As indicated by the Sunderland Echo, he declared that it is alarming that his team has to compete in the transfer market with clubs like Sunderland and Burnley.

Villas-Boas expressed his discontent with the evolution of the transfer window, pointing out the growing difficulty of signing players, mainly due to high costs.

FC Porto have made important signings that require high salaries, which directly impact our finances. It is a risky bet, a very significant investment. We had to restructure all the club’s finances, and we had to sell large amounts in January and June of last year to create the financial cushion that allowed us to face the market.

Andre Villas-Boas

This reflection makes it clear that Porto find it increasingly difficult to sign players because they do not play in a competitive league.

FC Porto president André Villas-Boas has claimed that it is “alarming” that his side are having to compete with the likes of Sunderland and Burnley in the transfer market these days, instead of other perceived European giants like Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

Speaking at the… pic.twitter.com/Pfw6UgEfJI

— Sunderland AFC News And Banter Page (@sunderlandafc11) October 11, 2025

Meanwhile, clubs like Burnley or Sunderland, which are in England, where the market value and income levels are much higher, can compete in a stronger way.

In addition, 50% of UEFA clubs are now under multi-ownership, which allows them to transfer players more easily within their own network.

This generates greater revenue and investment capacity, as owners with higher financial capacity can afford these types of transfers.

Although it was a criticism, it indirectly praises Sunderland for their excellent performance. The club are currently competing with some of the most important teams in Europe, such as FC Porto, for important signings.

Sunderland have even begun to rival clubs like Chelsea or Real Madrid, especially with their current interest in Javier Garcia, which shows that Sunderland are on a very good path.