Norwegian family visit CAP and celebrate passion for Ceará: proud | OneFootball

Wellerson Gomes / Ceará SC

A story built in the capital of Ceará reached Norway through consul Amanda Dias, 45, who has lived in Ålesund for 18 years. Married to Norwegian Espen Wattø and mother of Oliver Wattø, 16, and David Wattø, 13, Amanda visited Vozão’s Carlos de Alencar Pinto (CAP) facilities this Friday the 3rd, accompanied by her family.

On vacation from work and school activities, Amanda brought her family to enjoy their stay in the capital of Ceará. During their time in the city, they will follow from here the match between Brazil and Norway in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.

Consul since 2024, Amanda explained how her love for Ceará began and recalled the creation of the Alvinegro Consulate representation in Norway.

“My passion started when I was little. My father was always an Alvinegro supporter. I’m the youngest of three sisters and the only one interested in football. He took me to every match, whether at PV or Castelão. In 2024, my brother-in-law managed to bring my children to watch a Ceará training session. As a result, they also became Alvinegros. We came to watch training, then they showed us the inside of the headquarters and, when we learned about the Consulate, they asked if we wanted to represent Ceará in Norway. I couldn’t say no to that invitation. It is a source of pride and a pleasure to represent the team of my heart in another country,” Amanda explained.

“It’s a loving relationship (Espen’s) with Ceará. He loves talking about the team, is interested in Ceará’s history, and makes a point of sharing it with his co-workers and family. He always brings a jersey as a gift, shows photos, bought a huge flag, and we put it on the flagpole at his parents’ house. He is one of Ceará’s biggest fans in Norway,” she added, speaking about Espen’s relationship with Vozão.

The 54-year-old Norwegian, who has Ceará etched in his chest, commented on the bond he has built with the club and highlighted how the affection received by his sons strengthened the family’s connection with Alvinegro even more. In 2019, in Ceará’s victory over Palmeiras in Brazil’s Série A, Oliver and David walked onto the pitch with the players, to their parents’ delight.

“I caught it (her feeling). I love football. It was very easy to choose Ceará. It was passion. It’s hard to follow from Norway because of the time difference, but we do follow it. In Brazil, it’s only Ceará. It’s not just about liking a football club; it’s family, it’s passion. It’s everything together, a package. For me, the day they (Oliver and David) walked onto the pitch against Palmeiras in 2019 is engraved in my heart. They were children and didn’t speak Portuguese. It was a night game, with fireworks and a wonderful atmosphere. As a father, I was half scared for my sons and half proud. It’s a moment that, for me, is second only to their birth,” said Espen Wattø.

Even living in the European country, Oliver and David follow Ceará through apps and watch Vozão’s matches whenever possible. They return to Norway at the end of July. Before that, however, they will be at Presidente Vargas Stadium to watch in person the match against Athletic, in the 17th round of Brazil’s Série B, scheduled for the 13th.

"Seeing Vozão being represented abroad by the Alvinegro Consulate fills us with pride and further strengthens the history built over our 112 years. Having consul Amanda Dias’s family in Norway living the club so closely shows that our passion knows no cultural barriers or borders. Since the creation of the Alvinegro Consulate in 2016, this initiative has never stopped expanding across the world. Today, the Ceará brand is present in 18 countries, spread across the five continents," highlighted Marcus Vinícius, director of Consulates.

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