The president of Porto, Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, has criticized the attitude of Portuguese coach José Mourinho, considered one of the best coaches in the history of the club, due to his "attack" on Iker Casillas.
In an extensive interview published by the sports newspaper O Jogo, Pinto da Costa has stated that Chelsea's coach "shot himself in the foot" by criticizing the salary that the Dragons pay to Casillas, as the Portuguese team only pays "less than a third of the goalkeeper's salary" thanks to the agreement reached between the player and Madrid.
The president of Porto acknowledged that Mourinho's statements did not cause him "surprise" and described his words as an "incomprehensible attack on Casillas".
This is how Pinto da Costa responded to the opinions of the Portuguese coach, who just over a week ago criticized the high spending on signings and salaries of Porto and Sporting Lisbon, in contrast to the country's general situation.
The president of the Dragons made a strong defense of the signing of the captain of the Spanish national team, both in sporting and economic terms: "For us, it was a highly competitive signing in terms of price. He has been considered the best in the world several times, he has the best résumé, and at 34 years old, he can play at a high level for another three or four years," he said.
Pinto da Costa assured that the part of Casillas' salary paid by Porto is equivalent to the salaries that goalkeepers Fabiano and Andrés Fernández used to earn, who competed for the starting position last season and left the club this year.
"I ask myself what any club in the world would prefer: to have Fabiano and Andrés Fernández, or to have Casillas? I understood that it was better to have Casillas. Mourinho wanted to give Casillas, but his plan backfired because Porto does not pay even a third of the salary. It is Real Madrid that pays," he insisted.
Although the values were not officially disclosed, Portuguese media reported that the Portuguese club pays Casillas around €3.5 million net per season.
Pinto da Costa affirmed that the signing of the goalkeeper has also had a growth in Porto's brand image, and he assured that they recently received an order for 2,000 jerseys with Casillas' name from Spain which they couldn't fulfill at the moment due to giving priority to requests from Portuguese immigrants abroad.
"No player from Porto has ever sold that many jerseys. Jackson, who was the most popular, didn't sell that many. Casillas could sell 10,000, but we are not jersey sellers. It was important because it would allow Porto's brand to gain popularity in Spain. The purchase of the broadcasting rights for preseason matches by Televisión Española confirms it," he argued.
The leader declared himself an admirer of the Spanish goalkeeper, highlighting his "discretion," and acknowledged that at first, his signing seemed unlikely.
"They explained to me the reasons why he wanted to come, his willingness to earn less, as Real Madrid would pay for the termination. Antero Henriques - his "number two" - went to Madrid, met with his agent, and came back convinced that he wanted to come because he wanted to stay at the highest level, Porto was close, and he knew the coach well," he detailed.