“FC Porto gives every player the right conditions, no favouritism” | OneFootball

Alongside André Villas-Boas, who was also honored by the Mayor of Porto with the City’s Medal of Merit, Carla Oliveira recalled a moment that “means a lot.” The two-time European boccia champion and current world number one believes, however, that the tribute represents much more than just herself: “It is recognition for all those athletes who also train and work with excellence and in high-level competition. This award is only for me, Carla Oliveira, but I think it means much more than that.” Among her many thanks, the athlete also highlighted “all the conditions” provided by FC Porto to its athletes “without creating any kind of distinction.”

Pride, honor, and gratitude“I am grateful for the opportunity to be here this morning, and previously I couldn’t because I was winning another medal, but this means a lot to me, not only to me, but also to Paralympic sport and adapted sport in general. It is recognition for all those athletes who also train and work with excellence and in high-level competition. This award is only for me, Carla Oliveira, but I think it means much more than that. I am from Lourosa, in Santa Maria da Feira, but in fact Porto was the city that gave me an opportunity. And when I speak of Porto, I speak of those concepts of freedom and opportunity. It opened different doors for me, from the academic sphere to sport, to professional life, and to love. It is a city that feels familiar to me, and my daughter is Porto-born through and through. I feel very blessed by this city that welcomed me and allowed me to practice sport. I thank Porto City Hall for projects such as the High-Performance Athletes Support Program, and that has been significant. I also thank my husband, who is always with me in good times and bad and who is my pillar. Thank you to the Mayor for this distinction, which makes me very proud and greatly honors me, and for which I am very grateful.”

Recognition for FC Porto“I also thank FC Porto for all the conditions it provides to athletes without creating any kind of distinction. We are talking about athletes who work with values that are very present, such as competition, ambition, rigor, and passion. These are things that stay with us throughout our journey, and I am grateful for all the conditions the Club gives us.”

A collective distinction“This kind of distinction helps break the lack of recognition that sometimes exists in this field. It is an award for all the athletes who work so hard to go so far.”

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