Andre Villas-Boas reaffirmed his commitment to Porto before challenging his team to help him follow in the footsteps of his illustrious predecessors by lifting the Europa League with a win over Braga on Wednesday night.
Villas-Boas' record-breaking first season in charge of the Portuguese club has alerted Europe's biggest teams to his potential.
Chelsea are said to be monitoring the progress of the 33-year-old, with current boss Carlo Ancelotti seemingly heading for an exit this summer.
Villas-Boas has enjoyed a remarkable first full season in management, becoming only the second manager in history to lead a Portuguese team to a league title unbeaten.
The Porto boss, who cut his managerial teeth under the tutelage of Bobby Robson and Jose Mourinho, could end the year with four trophies - the third of which would come if Porto beat neighbours Braga in the Europa League final at the Aviva Stadium.
A victory would only serve to strengthen calls for him to move to Stamford Bridge, but Villas-Boas insists he is happy to remain at Porto and has vowed to try to emulate Mourinho by following up success in Europe's second-biggest club competition by going far in the Champions League.
'I am very happy at Porto. It's the city where I grew up. It's my home club and I don't see it easy to leave it,' he said.
'We are focused on winning the Europa League and next year we will go into Champions League.
'You cannot say that by reaching the final in the Europa League you will win the Champions League the next year (like Mourinho did). It's not that straightforward.
'Next year we hope to get through the group stage, then maybe the quarter-final or further. Let's dream a little bit more.'
Villas-Boas' thirst for management began as a schoolboy when he sent a letter to then Porto manager Robson, urging him to play striker Domingos Paciencia, who ironically is now the Braga coach.
Robson liked Villas-Boas' passion and offered to help him earn his coaching badges before he took on a coaching role at the club under one of the Englishman's successors - Mourinho.
He then followed the current Real Madrid boss to Chelsea and Inter Milan before he left to start his management career with Portuguese side Academica de Coimbra.
Villas-Boas no longer speaks to Mourinho, but regards his development under the 48-year-old, and Robson, as key to his success.
'Robson gave me my first step in football as a young boy and I told him I wanted to go into the professional game,' Villas-Boas said.
'Fortunately he put me on those training courses. He was the reason I am where I am today. Without him I wouldn't have been here.'
Villas-Boas' record with the Dragons this year has been nothing short of astonishing.
The young coach dropped only six points during the 30-game league campaign. Porto finished 21 points ahead of second-place Benfica and 38 in front of Braga.
He had to contend with losing key players and has inspired strikers Hulk and Falcao to top the scoring charts in their absence.
The highly-rated manager insists though that it is not he, but his players who should take credit for the club's stellar season.
'I think people focus a lot on the work of the manager and I don't see it that way,' said Villas-Boas, who will become the youngest manager to win a UEFA competition with victory in Dublin.
'The work of the manager depends on the structure of the coaching staff and the quality of the players.
'This year we have mixed that together well. It's not a one-man show.'
Porto are huge favourites to win at the Aviva Stadium, but Villas-Boas has warned his team against complacency against a Braga team who have knocked out Liverpool and Benfica on the road to the final.
'The Braga coach and his players have done a fantastic job so we have to focus,' he added.
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