Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa says goodbye today to 42 years as president of FC Porto

Today marks a turning point in the career of the oldest leader in the history of football: Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, the most titled president ever, returns to the status of associate and hands over the portfolio to André Villas-Boas, who took office at the noon today.

«Born in Cedofeita at 6:10 am on December 28, 1937, the day of the Holy Innocents, the fourth son of José Alexandrino Teixeira da Costa and Maria Elisa Bessa de Lima Amorim Pinto began following FC Porto guided by the hand of his uncle Armando, former president of Famalicão who took him to see a game against SC Braga at Campo da Constitution. The eight-year-old boy saw little or nothing, but never forgets what he felt », writes the club’s website.

Still on the FC Porto website you can read that «on the penultimate day of 1953, having just completed 16 springs, grandmother Alice signed him up as a member of the club. Three years later, the irreverent Jorge Nuno goes against his mother’s wishes and interrupts his studies at the end of high school. Without entering higher education, he took his seventh year diploma and immediately started working – first in a bank, then as a chemical salesman and then in a household appliances company”.

The conversation that changed the history of sport came in 1958. «President Cesário Bonito invited him to be a member of roller hockey and it was in this role that he accompanied the emblem of the heart towards Torres Vedras where, the following year, he celebrated the goal that not even Inocêncio Calabote was able to stop. From then on, nothing was the same», recalls FC Porto.

According to the club’s official website, «he ended up being promoted to head of the section three years later, a role he combines with being responsible for field hockey, before moving to boxing and becoming friends with Reinaldo Teles. In 1969 he accepted the challenge from Afonso Pinto Magalhães, became responsible for amateur sports and Américo de Sá succeeded the banker, however Pinto da Costa refused to continue as he understood that the new president must renew the governing bodies».

The doors to his home reopened five years later, «when Américo de Sá promised him carte blanche in choosing the technical team and squad for the 1976/77 season. Once the ban that prevented the return was lifted, José Maria Pedroto, coach and director, won the Portuguese Cup in their first season together, broke the 19-year fast in the second and became two-time Portuguese champions – almost four decades later – in the third».

The events that occurred in the final of the 1980 queen’s race lead the duo to cut ties with the president. «Unhappy with the stance of Américo de Sá, who they accuse of succumbing to the forces of the capital, both leave the club and are accompanied by 14 players. Some athletes leave, others stay, but the football team does not find its way back to victory and the Porto player from Cedofeita decides to run for leadership of the institution».

He won the 1982 vote and only had to wait two years to fulfill an ambitious electoral promise. Without Pedroto on the bench, due to illness, FC Porto makes life difficult for the almighty Juventus, but loses the Cup Winners’ Cup final against everything and everyone. The Master dies in the following months, Artur Jorge follows in his mentor’s footsteps and wins his second championship at the same time that the relegation of Estádio das Antas is completed – another of List B’s promises.

The arrival at the football Olympus took place in 1987. Playing away in the Austrian capital, the Dragons, who were no longer Andrades, defeated the super Bayern Munich and won the mythical European Champions Cup. Not satisfied, they still went to Tokyo to lift the Intercontinental Cup under a snowstorm that left Portugal suspended. The first international treble in the history of football was completed under the command of Tomislav Ivic, the helmsman responsible for the European Super Cup triumph against Ajax.

FC Porto won four more championships, two Cups and three Super Cups until the centenary, insufficient numbers to satisfy the ambitious leader. Having just learned that Sousa Cintra had dismissed Bobby Robson, he diverted the Sporting coach and laid the foundations for the first of five consecutive titles. António Oliveira and Fernando Santos perfectly continued Sir’s work and, in 1999, the Aliados came out to cheer the unprecedented Penta.

Pinto da Costa pulled off another trick in 2002, when he hired a coach fired by Benfica and rejected by Sporting, who returned him to European glory. After breaking the deadlock at home, José Mourinho guides the Porto fans to the top of Europe by winning the UEFA Cup, in Seville, and the Champions League, in Gelsenkirchen, in a short space of 12 months in which there was still time left to inaugurate the magnificent Dragon’s Stadium.

Two-time World Champion in Yokohama, the growing blue and white nation had plenty of reasons to celebrate in the first decade of the 21st century. With Adriaanse and Jesualdo Ferreira closing it with a Tetra and two doubles, the Professor added another success at Jamor and opened the way for André Villas-Boas to enter.

With his successor on the bench, Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa celebrated a Super Cup against Benfica, an undefeated national title in Luz, a Europa League in Dublin and a Portuguese Cup won in a rout. The youngest coach ever to win a continental competition left, Vítor Pereira rose in rank and FC Porto increased their tally until the Tri.

The Museum that had opened its doors on the 120th anniversary was once again stocked after the arrival of Sérgio Conceição, who prevented Benfica from equaling the record to which he had contributed as a player and put Dragão back on the path to success. Since 2017, the club has won three championships (more than any rival), three Portuguese Cups (idem), three Super Cups (idem) and the cup that was missing to complete the bouquet.

Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa says goodbye to the position he has held since April 23, 1982 after 42 years, two Champions Leagues, two Intercontinental Cups, two Europa Leagues, one European Super Cup, 23 championships, 15 Portuguese Cups, 22 Super Cups and a League Cup. 15,356 days and 2,591 trophies in the various sports that make him the longest-lived and most awarded manager of all time. And the greatest figure in the history of Futebol Clube do Porto.

Source: Porto Football Club