André Villas-Boas: Thanks for your wholehearted commitment to FC Porto | OneFootball

“Reaching 75 years of connection to FC Porto is an extraordinary milestone, reserved for those who live and feel intensely every victory and every adversity over the years,” therefore, on the eve of the Club's 132nd anniversary, the president awarded the Diamond Rosettes to the members “who ensure the continuity and perpetuation of the blue and white culture, passing the baton to the next generations and making them stronger, nobler, and more resilient.”

The ceremony took place in the VIP Tribune of the Estádio do Dragão and was intended for “members whose loyalty transcends the passage of time.” André Villas-Boas stated that the Diamond Rosettes “distinguish the most loyal in the history of FC Porto” and “are the most symbolic recognition of the passion, loyalty, and unconditional love of those who always keep the Porto flame burning in their hearts.”

Because “FC Porto is a living affirmation of identity, will, and belonging,” the president evoked “with longing and gratitude figures who marked the Club's path” – “Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, the Eternal President who made FC Porto a global power” and “Jorge Costa, a symbol of grit and determination that embodies the essence of being a Dragon” – highlighting the “responsibility to prolong their example and the example of all those who gave FC Porto the best of themselves.”

From origins to the present“Before starting this speech, I had the opportunity to share a few brief moments with many of you, prestigious members, 75 years in the service of FC Porto is a mark that lasts a lifetime, it is a mark that represents a life, and that is unforgettable. Your stories would surely be much more interesting than my speech, they are stories that cross time, cross the time of FC Porto and cross the stadiums of FC Porto, as I heard from some members, from Campo da Rainha, to Campo da Constituição, to our beloved Estádio das Antas, to this beautiful Estádio do Dragão, you have lived many lives of FC Porto and those stories would surely be much more valuable than these words I am about to leave you. However, I wanted to leave them on this magnificent night that is yours, above all.”

48 years as a member, 42 of glory“Welcome to this house of yours, which I have the honor and privilege to serve. We are gathered here to honor members whose loyalty transcends the passage of time. The Diamond Rosettes represent a milestone of dedication, love, and passion that distinguish the most loyal in the history of FC Porto. People who have lived through various phases of affirmation and growth of our Club and our values and to which they are intimately related. It is difficult to know where to start in front of an audience that breathes Porto spirit in its purest form. I have only been a member for 48 years, and of those 48, 42 correspond to the deepest phase of FC Porto's affirmation as one of the best clubs in the world, a machine of victories and titles, a Club that breathes a mystique that others only yearn for.”

A legacy for generations“A distinct Club, made of race and passion, a faithful representative of its people. A mystique that comes from a culture of demand and work that has no comparison with others. Principles and values forged over time by members who demand that FC Porto always enters the field fighting for the ideals it represents. It is precisely there that those who have remained faithful to their Club throughout their entire lives come in, who have seen it grow and be reborn, who have helped in its affirmation and propagation of the good name and who within their own family made FC Porto culture and the only destination for their children and grandchildren.”

Root and destiny“Reaching 75 years of connection to our club is an extraordinary milestone, reserved for those who live and feel intensely every victory and every adversity over the years. The Diamond Rosettes are our most symbolic recognition of the passion, loyalty, and unconditional love of those who always keep the Porto flame burning in their hearts. The extent of your dedication, made of shared emotion, stories lived in family, afternoons and nights at Estádio das Antas, at Dragão, at Constituição and Campo da Rainha, at Pavilhão Américo de Sá and Dragão Arena, in so many moments of national and international glory that unfolded before your eyes, but that would have been impossible without you and without the teachings passed on to different generations, knowing where we came from and where we are going.”

Guardians of the mystique“It is you who ensure the continuity and perpetuation of the blue and white culture, passing the baton to the next generations and making them stronger, nobler, and more resilient. I have no other words but to thank you, from the heart, for your wholehearted dedication to the cause of FC Porto. Thank you very much.”

Nostalgia and recognition“In the coming hours, we will also celebrate our 132 years of history, which will be fulfilled on September 28. The awarding of these Rosettes, at a moment of anniversary and celebration, is also the renewal of the commitment that unites us, transmitted through generations and lived by thousands of Porto fans, wherever they are. FC Porto is a living affirmation of identity, will, and belonging. We are Porto anywhere in the world. Today, we remember with nostalgia and gratitude figures who marked the path of our club. Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, the Eternal President who made FC Porto a global power. Jorge Costa, a symbol of grit and determination that embodies the essence of being a Dragon. Joining them are names like José Maria Pedroto, Artur Jorge, Fernando Gomes, Lima Pereira, Rui Filipe, Pavão, Alfredo Quintana, Cesário Bonito and, of course, our founders Monteiro da Costa, Nicolau de Almeida and many other presidents, directors, and athletes, many of them present here, who by example and by giving back to this Club are references of Porto spirit. Their memory lives in our achievements and motivates our path towards a future of glory.”

Honoring the past, looking to the future“Let us honor their legacy with heartfelt applause and with the responsibility to prolong their example, the example of all those who gave FC Porto the best of themselves. The future demands ambition, work, and unity. We will fight for sporting truth, for fair rules, for a mystique that feeds on the ability to dream and conquer. Today, the combativeness is visible in our team and is a lever for a new era of victories and growth. We want to continue to lead with passion, projecting our pride around the world.”

A Club that never gives up“To the members of all times, to those who will receive the Diamond Rosettes today and to those who live the Club every day with the same passion and pride, our heartfelt thanks. May this anniversary be another moment of affirmation of an FC Porto that never gives up, never settles, and is ready, as always, to win once more. Long live the members of Futebol Clube do Porto, long live the Diamond Rosette members present here, and long live our Futebol Clube do Porto.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.