Deco: In today’s market, I’d only last two years at Porto | OneFootball

Deco gave a long interview to the British newspaper The Times in its Monday edition, where he discussed various topics, including "the fantastic dream" he lived while serving FC Porto when, in 2004, he won the Champions League under the management of the current Benfica coach, José Mourinho.

The former Portuguese international began by saying, "Nowadays, it would be more difficult. I hope it happens again. I love the city, but it's not easy for FC Porto to hold onto players. I stayed there for five years, but a player like me or Ricardo Carvalho, nowadays, would stay for a maximum of two years."

It should be remembered that the playmaker arrived at Antas in 1999, coming from Salgueiros, for a sum close to eight million euros, and was later sold to Barcelona for 21 million euros. Deco now explains this step with the desire to fulfill "a dream" he had since childhood.

Regarding the transfer to Chelsea in 2008 for ten million euros, he stated, "When I decided that my time at Barcelona had come to an end, I had two options. I had Internazionale, with José Mourinho. Of course, the influence of [Luiz] Felipe Scolari was important to me, but it wasn't just about that."

About the choice for England, he maintained, "I wanted to play in the Premier League, to have that kind of experience. The decision was due to Chelsea's project. I knew the team, the players. Chelsea was better for me." The experience in English football ended up not meeting expectations, and two years later, he moved to Fluminense.

Deco explained the family connection to the move: "At that time, my ex-wife decided to return to Brazil. It was too far for my children. Before, they were in Portugal. My eldest is now 25 years old, but at the time, he was eight. It shook me a lot. That was one of the reasons I decided to return. I was happy here, although my second year wasn't as good."

Regarding the balance of that stage, he admitted, "I don't like excuses because everyone has their own problems, but if I could, I would have liked to spend more years at Chelsea."

"My idea was not to be Barcelona's sporting director"

After ending his career in 2013, Deco ventured into player management and strengthened ties with Barcelona. A decade later, he became the choice of president Joan Laporta to occupy the position of sporting director – a role he assures he never imagined performing.

In his words, "I am a fan of the club. Since I retired, I have kept friends here. I have a house here. The club needed a change, a reconstruction, and I wanted to help from the outside. My idea was not to be the sporting director. After being elected, the president always told me, 'You have to become the sporting director,'" concluded the former Portuguese international.

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