“Only the final win matters”: Pedroto put Porto back on top in 1978 | OneFootball

On June 11, 1978, FC Porto confirmed its return to the national championship title, in a landmark moment in the club’s history and in Portuguese football.

The image of that day became tied to José Maria Pedroto, hoisted onto the shoulders of fans and players, in clear recognition of the work of the coach who led Porto back to league triumphs. After a previous season finished in 3rd place, but with the Portuguese Cup won, the start of the new campaign came with a strong and unambiguous message.

Pedroto defined the team’s ambition early on: “Only final victory is the objective. It does not matter if they call us obsessed, fanatical, or other similar terms.”

That statement came to sum up the competitive spirit of a historic season for FC Porto. The club ended a long drought in the league and returned to the top of national football, in a cycle that helped cement a new winning mentality.

More than a title, the 1978 triumph represented a turning point. Pedroto became associated with that blue-and-white rebirth, which is why he was immortalized as the “Master of Masters” among Porto supporters.

Almost five decades later, the date continues to be remembered as one of the fundamental milestones in FC Porto’s rise as one of the great powers of Portuguese football.

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