FC Porto given hero’s welcome at Aliados after city parade | OneFootball

From the early hours, hundreds of people gathered near the stage set up on Avenida dos Aliados, waiting for the open-top bus that brought the players along the route between the riverside area and the city centre.

As the night went on, the crowd kept growing, amid chants, flags, blue smoke and nonstop horns, in an atmosphere of collective euphoria that took over the main streets of the undefeated city.

It was already a little past 11:30 p.m. when the bus appeared on Avenida dos Aliados, moving slowly through thousands of ecstatic supporters, many of them perched on lampposts, bus stops and improvised balconies to try to catch a glimpse of the new national champions.

“This is Porto, this can’t be explained,” shouted Rui Moreira, 54, wrapped in a giant ‘dragons’ flag, as he hugged his son.

FC Porto celebrated on Saturday winning its 31st national football championship title, after finishing the league with a 1-0 home victory over Santa Clara.

“I waited here all day. It was worth every minute,” confessed Mariana Teixeira, a 21-year-old university student, her voice already hoarse after hours of singing.

On the stage set up in front of City Hall, the first to come up were coach Francesco Farioli and captain Diogo Costa, who lifted the championship trophy to an explosion of applause and fireworks.

“Porto fans, let’s celebrate together,” Farioli shouted into the microphones, a phrase immediately repeated by the crowd in unison, before the rest of the group came onto the stage to the sound of the club anthem and chants that echoed throughout downtown Porto.

The celebration then continued on the balcony of Porto City Hall, where players, coaching staff and directors once again raised the trophy before a completely packed square. With scarves in the air and mobile phones pointed upward, the supporters responded with a deafening “champions, champions,” extending a night that will remain in the city’s memory.

“Porto may win many times, but this never stops being special,” said António Ferreira, a 68-year-old retiree, as he watched the celebrations on the Aliados with emotion.

The celebrations are expected to continue through the night, with thousands of people remaining in the city centre to celebrate with the club, national football champions once again, four years later.

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