Pinto da Costa ends his reign with 15,344 days of success and controversy

Pinto da Costa suffered a historic defeat in Porto’s elections on Saturday, culminating with 15 mandates and 15,344 consecutive days as president of the country’s vice-champions, whose status he has redefined through successes and controversies.

Sworn in on April 23, 1982, six days after being named unopposed as Americo de Sa’s successor, the 33rd leader in the club’s history, 86, has mentored a new balance of power in the national sport in recent decades. .

The Andrades gave way to the mythological figure of the dragon, and Pinto da Costa enriched a 42-year legacy with 2,585 trophies in 21 sports, 68 of which were won in football, in which he achieved the status of leader with the most titles. and longevity in the world.

The main pursuer is 77-year-old Florentino Perez, who over two periods (from 2000 to 2006 and from 2009) brought together 60 senior stars in Real Madrid – 33 in football and 27 in basketball.

Jorge Nuno de Lima Pinto da Costa was born on December 28, 1937 in the parish of Cedofeita in Porto and came from a high-bourgeois family with strong cultural traditions, in which football did not have much influence, but was given to the main club. in the city area, serving since 1962 as director of roller and field hockey and boxing.

Called by then-president Afonso Pinto de Magalhães to lead amateur sports from 1969 to 1971, he returned to FC Porto five years later, during the América de Sa era, to head the football department and bet on José’s return. Maria Pedroto.

This second stint as coach of the former Blaugrana midfielder was immortalized by his second national championship in 1977/78 and 1978/79 after a “quick” 19 years, but it ended in a “hot summer”. 1980, when he accompanied the departure of Pinto da Costa.

The foundations laid by Pedroto would be saved two years later when the leader took power at the age of 44, while Porto had won just 16 trophies, including seven I League titles, exploding from the winning turnaround. on the Benfica pitch (2–1) in the 1983 Supertas Candido de Oliveira after 0–0 in the first leg.

The long-term illness of the “master” left then assistant coach Antonio Morais on the bench for that game, as happened in the 1983/84 European Cup Winners’ Cup final, lost to Italian club Juventus (1–2), a sign that international release club.

This was followed by seven successes, more than double the three achieved by Benfica and Sporting, including the European Cup (1987/88), Intercontinental Cup (1987 and 2004), European Super Cup (1987), UEFA Cup (2002/ 03), Champions League (2003/04) and Europa League (2010/11), this statement is also supported by growing internal consistency.

Porto dominated 23 of the 42 First League editions completed in the Pinto da Costa era (among the Penta, a unique achievement in the 90 editions of the tournament, from 1994/95 to 1998/99), winning 19 scepters shared between are the Eagles (14), the Lions (four) and Porto’s rival Boavista (one).

Adding 15 Portuguese Cups, 22 Candido de Oliveira Super Cups and a League Cup, the Dragons have more than quintupled their achievements and won 68 of the 145 football trophies won in Portugal since the start of the presidency.

Among the main sports of the pavilion, handball (from 13 to 44 successes at the adult level), basketball (from 6 to 46), roller hockey (from 1 to 77, including 10 international ones) and volleyball (from 11 to 23) also developed. competitiveness.

The modernization initiated by Pinto da Costa was also reflected in the heritage, starting with the relegation of the Estadio das Antas (1986), the demolition of which coincided with the opening of Dragao (2003), interspersed with the PortoGaia Educational and Sports Training Centre. , in Olival (2002), the Dragão Arena pavilion (2009) and the club museum (2013).

Besides the frequency of combining sporting success with polemics beyond the four lines, he made the “dragons” speak to the rhythm of their own voice, combining portism and a full frontal, passionate and ironic speech against the “Lisbon centralism” censored by it.

Strategist in the management of the media scene and unequal in relations with eight colleagues from Benfica and 12 from Sporting, known since 1982, he sowed hatred and love, bought and sold wars, not going unnoticed in this institutional invasion of Porto “.

Linked to several criminal cases but not convicted in the courts, his reputation was damaged in 2004 by his involvement in the Apito Dourado company, which investigated alleged corruption in Portuguese football, influenced trade and coerced judges using incriminating wiretaps. as proof.

The controversial book “EU, Carolina”, published by former teammate Carolina Salgado, was one of the books based on the life and work of Pinto da Costa, the fifth president of the Portuguese Professional Football League (LPFP) from 1995 to 1996 and founder of FC Porto SAD. in 1997.

Accustomed to unanimity in the Blaugrana universe, the leader allowed himself to be pulled into power and pay for the most delicate moment of his “reign”, failing to support Andre Villas-Boas, the club’s former coach. it’s always busy.