Fuente: © UEFA (English)
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FOOTBALL EUROPE: Dragons roar into the record books

/noticias.info/ Jesualdo Ferreira said that FC Porto had "a different kind of passion" as they broke a club record by claiming the Portuguese Liga title with five matches to spare.

Record margin
With 50,000 fans roaring them on at the Estádio do Dragão, Ferreira's side crushed CF Estrela da Amadora to claim their 23rd title – and third in succession – in emphatic style. Strikes from Lucho González, Tarik Sektioui and Ricardo Quaresma, a Maurício own goal and efforts from Bruno Alves and Lisandro López gave them their 20th victory in 25 league games and left them with a massive 18-point lead over SL Benfica and Vitória FC. They are now closing in on Benfica's record margin of victory, when they won the 1972/73 Liga title by 18 points.

'Highest point'
No Porto side had ever taken the title with five games to spare before and Ferreira said: "First of all I want to dedicate this title to our chairman [Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa] because he's a fantastic leader. I also want to thank these amazing fans. This club approaches football with a different kind of passion. The fans are more demanding and our players are the best so I'm very proud of them. This is the highest point of my career so far. However, we want to win the remaining five league games and the Portuguese Cup."

Next goal
Lisandro is on target to finish the season as Portugal's top scorer, his haul of 21 goals putting him ten clear of his nearest rival, Benfica's Óscar Cardozo. However, the Portuguese Cup is a bigger priority for the Argentinian. "Our main goal was to retain the title and we managed that in some style," he said. "But for all the celebrations we must stay focused and take it one match at a time. Our next goal is to win the Portuguese Cup." Compatriot Lucho González added: "We deserve to be champions. The secret of our success was to be humble day after day. My future? I'm not thinking about leaving. I love this club." notas_de_prensa_archivo