Grace Calnan: “It was great to have an experience like this” | OneFootball

Just a few days before the volleyball Super Cup, scheduled for Saturday at 5pm, libero Annie Cesar and middle blocker Grace Calnan swapped the court for the FC Porto Museum. The guided tour brought the players closer to the Club’s history, reinforced the importance of the fans’ support, and added motivation ahead of the first trophy up for grabs. Grace Calnan summed up the impact of the moment: “It was great to have an experience like this.”

As the countdown to the Super Cup continues, Miguel Coelho’s players walked through the Museum’s display cases and spoke with figures from other sports, such as Fernando Sá, Filipe Santos, and Tiago Rocha. For Annie Cesar and Grace Calnan, the experience helped them better understand the scale of FC Porto and the passion that runs through different generations and teams.

The first impression naturally came from seeing the trophies and the stories preserved in the Museum. Annie Cesar did not hide her enthusiasm and made it clear that one visit was not enough to take in the full legacy.

“It was a very interesting experience,” she said. “I love sport, so it was incredible, and I intend to come back to the Museum to look at everything again more calmly. It’s incredible to feel this city’s pride in FC Porto.”

Grace Calnan was also impressed by the scale of the heritage on display and by the accounts of those who had experienced the Club from the inside.

“It was great to have an experience like this. I already knew FC Porto had a great history, but it was spectacular to see all the trophies won in the Museum and to hear stories told by former Club players.”

More than just a walk past the display cases, the visit served as an emotional connection to Porto’s history. The past appeared not as something static, but as a living reference for those now looking to add new chapters.

With the Super Cup on the horizon, Annie Cesar found in the achievements of the other sports a clear measure of the level of expectation that comes with wearing the badge. The German international said she was ready for the challenge and particularly moved by the sustained success of the Club’s other teams.

“I’m always ready, but it’s always good to understand what a volleyball Super Cup means to the other sports,” she explained. “At FC Porto, everyone wants us to succeed, and we can feel the passion of those who grew up here and who always want the best for the Club. It’s very motivating to hear these success stories—winning ten and seven league titles in a row is crazy, and it’s something very difficult to achieve.”

Grace Calnan, meanwhile, acknowledged that the visit changed the way she saw the importance of the trophy and the work that had gone into reaching this point.

“I already knew the Super Cup was going to be important, but only now did I realise how hard everyone has worked for this and how passionate these people are about the Club.”

The words of the two players show that they see the Super Cup as something that goes beyond the match itself. Contact with other sports made the shared responsibility more visible and turned the Club’s history into a direct source of inspiration for the challenge ahead.

The connection between FC Porto and the fans was another theme that stood out during the visit. Annie Cesar described that support as an expression of love for the Club, also linking it to defending the city and the ambition to win titles.

“I realised that the fans support FC Porto because they love the Club. They do everything for the good of FC Porto; they think only about defending the city and winning titles.”

Grace Calnan found in that same bond one of the keys to better understanding FC Porto’s identity.

“It’s something very special. Now I feel that FC Porto really values the fans’ support, and I think I can already understand that phenomenon better.”

Among trophies, memories, and stories from former players, the two volleyball players left the Museum with a clearer understanding of the mystique surrounding the Club. The fans’ passion and the competitive legacy were no longer just concepts—they had taken on a face, a voice, and real weight on the eve of the Super Cup.

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