FC Porto announced the hiring of Martín Anselmi as the new technical director. Anselmi will be responsible for preparing the team for the Club World Cup at the end of the season in the United States, where they will compete in a group that includes Lionel Messi's Inter Miami. Currently, Porto is in 25th place out of 36 teams in the Europa League and needs at least a draw in their next match against Maccabi Tel Aviv to advance to the playoffs.
The decision to hire Anselmi was made following the dismissal of his predecessor, Vítor Bruno, last week, leaving the team in third place in the Portuguese league. Porto qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup as one of the 12 representatives from Europe due to their consistent results in the last editions of the Champions League.
In a press conference, FC Porto president André Villas-Boas introduced Anselmi, who criticized the leaders of his previous club, Cruz Azul from Liga MX, for not honoring an agreement to release him. Anselmi explained: "They made me a promise that they would let me go, negotiated, reached an agreement, and accepted a proposal from Porto; however, when everything was ready for formalization, they changed the rules of the game."
Anselmi joined Cruz Azul with a two-year contract that was extended until 2027. Following his departure, the team's president, Víctor Velásquez, announced legal actions. However, Anselmi responded by stating that he made the decision to leave in search of his professional development and took responsibility for his choice.
39-year-old Argentine Martín Anselmi has signed a contract with FC Porto until June 2027. His immediate goal will be to lead the team to the knockout phase of the Europa League. In addition to his participation in this tournament, Porto will compete in a group that includes Brazil's Palmeiras and Egypt's Al Ahly in the Club World Cup.
