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The Porto president Pinto da Costa is confident the club will retain the services of manager, André Villas Boas, despite Chelsea having identified the 33-year-old as a potential successor for Carlo Ancelotti.
Villas Boas has enjoyed an impressive first season with Porto having claimed the league title with five rounds of the campaign remaining – they have won 26 of their 29 league matches this term – and will compete in the Europa League final against Braga in Dublin next week.
Chelsea, who are expected to fire Ancelotti at the end of the season, have been monitoring the Portuguese and regard him as a viable manager, possibly to work under their first choice, Guus Hiddink.
Da Costa, speaking at a dinner to commemorate Porto winning their 25th Portuguese championship on Monday, insisted they wanted to retain Villas Boas at the Estadio do Dragão.
“Out of the thousands of times that he has been asked if he would be leaving for another club, he has always responded that he is in his dream position already,” said Da Costa, who then turned to Villas Boas directly and added: “We want to see you happy in this job for many years, and we will provide you with the conditions so that this season is the first of many with the success that we all want.”
The Chelsea board remain confident that it can still persuade Hiddink, a caretaker manager at Stamford Bridge in 2009, to return to the club despite the fact that the 64-year-old is under contract with the Turkish Football Federation.
