André Villas-Boas: “It was a fitting and deserved tribute” | OneFootball

The Portuguese Football Federation organized a ceremony in tribute to Jorge Costa and Diogo Jota, former stars of FC Porto and the national team who passed away in recent months. André Villas-Boas led the FC Porto delegation at the Cidade do Futebol and attended a “fair and dignified tribute, which did justice to everything these athletes did for the national team and for the Club.”

In a year marked by losses that shook the Porto family – Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, Jorge Costa, Diogo Jota, and André Silva – the club president expressed the intention to “honor their memories” and to represent them “in values, principles, image, and determination.”

A worthy tribute“First of all, I want to thank the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and once again offer condolences to the families and friends of Diogo Jota, André Silva, and Jorge Costa. These tributes dignify the men, the athletes, and their families. It was a fair and dignified tribute by the FPF that does justice to everything these athletes did for the Portuguese national team and, in our case, what they also did for FC Porto. I only have words of gratitude to the FPF for this gesture and I hope the families feel close to Diogo, André, and Jorge after a moment like this.”

Jorge Costa“Different personalities who leave different legacies. They were both charismatic. I was obviously closer to Jorge, both personally and professionally, and I know he was the embodiment of a perfect leader and a defender of FC Porto’s values and mystique. He was very special to me, never abandoned me, and was always by my side at all times, especially in my first year as president. He was always a hero by my side and is a hero to his family, because he was always there for them as well and was much loved by everyone. He was a presence that filled locker rooms and physical spaces. He leaves us physically, but we are all imbued with his spirit, not only at FC Porto, but also at the FPF for everything he did for the country.”

Diogo Jota“I also remember Diogo as a man of simplicity and a dazzling smile that was contagious to everyone. A fantastic and humble family. He leaves memories of a person who moved others with his simplicity and way of being. With FC Porto, he instituted something very special to him: eSports. We are proud to perpetuate his memory through Luna, who represents FC Porto, and now Rute takes over Luna’s guidance and will honor Diogo Jota’s memory forever.”

A friend for all times“All these moments I lived with Jorge were intense because they were related to the preparation of a candidacy that brought me to the presidency of FC Porto. Jorge left us in a tragic way, but while working and at his FC Porto, which he loved so much. Many people thank me for bringing him back and I refute all of that because he was and is always present at FC Porto. He is a great leader of the Club and a reference who never left, and I just ensured the continuity of his presence in this project that started last year. It was a difficult year because of the results, and it is in those moments that great men stand out, and by my side was one who not only never abandoned me, but also never abandoned his football companions, team, and locker room, and believed that this was not a sprint, but a marathon. At this moment, we feel rejuvenated, knowing in advance that there are still 30 rounds to go, but we would like to be able to honor Jorge by winning the National Championship title. Of course, it’s all very premature, it’s still very early, so we prefer not to use his memory as the driving force to win a championship. We miss him very much and would love to have him close.”

A legacy to honor“Jorge left in a very tragic, moving, but at the same time inspiring way. His legacy will be eternalized and gives us great inner strength and we really want to honor his memory.”

The Captain and the President of Presidents“FC Porto did not just lose Jorge Costa, but also Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa. It was a very difficult year for all fans and for the entire Porto family. They are the driving force of FC Porto. People who represented it in values, principles, image, and determination, in everything that is FC Porto, our voice and mystique. We have that ambition, these are steps we must take securely, especially since there are many battles left. There is no doubt that the spirit of both is present and we want to honor them both. Jorge Costa left us tragically, while working, and the president also never left his office at Estádio do Dragão and was always present. He was a unique figure in Portuguese sport and we will try to honor his memory with that achievement.”

The summer transfer window“Jorge Costa was part of this transformation, detected a lot of talent, and helped us choose and fine-tune what would be this year’s team. He played a fundamental role in rejuvenating a new way of believing it is possible. We saw many athletes this year recognize their mistakes and want to evolve. We did so as well, from the management side, and all of this was a very strong self-criticism. We embraced this mission spirit as a renewal of FC Porto that we managed to carry out, and where Jorge played a fundamental role. Jorge is present in this inner strength that we now carry and want to project into the future. We want it to be this way until the end of the championship.”

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