Miguel Coelho: “the fans are the most important part of the club” | OneFootball

In Super Cup week, Miguel Coelho, head coach of FC Porto’s volleyball team, set his sights on victory against SC Braga on Saturday at 5pm in Santo Tirso. After a visit to the Museum and a conversation with figures from other sports, he highlighted the strength of Porto’s history, the ambition to win a third straight national competition, and the weight of support in the stands, assuring: “the fans are the most important part of the Club.”

The coaching staff and players went through FC Porto’s 133 years of history on a guided tour before delving deeper into the Club’s mystique with Fernando Sá, Filipe Santos and Tiago Rocha. For Miguel Coelho, contact with that heritage is not merely symbolic: it can serve as competitive motivation for the challenge ahead.

By revisiting the Museum, the coach found in the past a source of energy for the present. The stories shared by figures linked to basketball, roller hockey and handball thus emerge as an emotional ingredient before the fight for the trophy.

“It’s never too much. Every time we visit the Museum there is always something new that tells us something about the past, and that past greatly enriches the present,” he explained. “Knowing more about the city and hearing the stories of Filipe (Santos), (Fernando) Sá and Tiago (Rocha) can be the click that helps us give something extra on the court. All of this can give us something extra next weekend.”

The message is clear: collective memory does not step onto the court, but it helps build the mindset with which the team approaches the Super Cup. Miguel Coelho is looking to turn Porto’s identity into yet another resource for a match he does not treat as a mere formality.

The recent basketball Super Cup also featured in the coach’s remarks, as he congratulated Fernando Sá and underlined the closeness between FC Porto’s different teams. The women’s volleyball team’s ambition fits into that logic of unity, with the goal of extending the run of national titles.

“First of all, I want to congratulate Fernando Sá. I had already congratulated him personally, but this initiative further strengthens the ties between us. My friendship with him is known to everyone, and we really do support one another inside the Dragão Arena,” he said. “Now we are going to try to win another competition, the third straight national competition, and that is something important for the Club. It is important that the new players, and those who were already here, continue to feel that we are not just 14 athletes and six coaches inside the pavilion. Here, we are many, and that strength coming from outside is extra help for a battle as tough as the one we will have on Saturday against SC Braga.”

More than celebrating the personal bond between coaches, Miguel Coelho focused on a collective structure that goes beyond the working group. It is this sense of belonging that he intends to take into the meeting with SC Braga, linking the pursuit of another title to the Club’s overall dimension.

Support from the fans was the closing point of his speech. Convinced that Porto supporters will be in Santo Tirso, the coach issued the challenge of filling the section allocated to FC Porto and connected that mobilization to the examples of devotion found during the visit to the Museum.

“I am sure Porto supporters will be present in Santo Tirso. Everything that was said today had the fans in the background; they are the most important part of the Club. In the Museum we saw a trophy given to the Club by the fans (Arsenal Cup), a beautiful cup in a beautiful space, and we also saw another trophy that was offered by the fans after a defeat against Juventus,” he described. “I know they will be there on Saturday, on a weekend with less football. I am sure we will be able to do what no one has done yet, which is fill the section dedicated to FC Porto. It is a good opportunity for us to achieve that and make history. The more people are on our side, the more meaningful it will be for the team.”

Between the memory displayed in the Museum and the expected presence in the stands, Miguel Coelho drew a continuous line of identity and support. For the team, the Super Cup matters in its own right, but the strength coming from outside can give it even greater meaning.

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