16 May 1984: FC Porto's first Euro final, Basel injustice, era begins | OneFootball

On May 16, 1984, FC Porto played in a European football final for the first time, in the Cup Winners’ Cup. In Basel, at St. Jakob Stadium, the Dragons lost 2-1 to Juventus in the final of the competition.

The Porto side did respond after falling behind. The Italian team took the lead in the 13th minute through Vignola, but António Sousa equalised in the 29th minute. Still before half-time, Boniek made it 2-1 in the 40th minute, setting the final score on a night that became a landmark in the club’s blue-and-white history.

Despite the defeat, that appearance in the final represented an important step in FC Porto’s rise on the European stage. The run to Basel confirmed the club’s international growth, as it reached a continental decider for the first time.

That match also became associated with strong controversy surrounding the refereeing of Adolf Prokop, in a final that Porto supporters still remember with bitterness. Even so, FC Porto’s presence in the 1983/84 Cup Winners’ Cup final remains a founding milestone in the club’s European journey.

Three years later, in 1987, the club would go on to win its first European title, continuing the path that began on that May night in Switzerland.

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