Despite the rain that was felt, thousands of people gathered this Sunday to have one last chance to say goodbye to Fernando Gomes, Bibota, who died on Saturday at the age of 66.
Present were names like Paulo Futre, former Portuguese international, André Villas Boas, coach, or even José Luís Carneiro, minister of the interior.
Arriving at the vigil, André Villas Boas, former FC Porto coach, spoke of the memories he has of Bibota, “one of the club’s maximum symbols, a person we remember with great passion and intensity”. Given that Fernando Gomes played a role “like few others”, Villas Boas left an idea: “When Maradona died, I had the audacity to think that number 10 should be removed. Gomes’ number 9 is special. I know not sure if it was fair to say that this is such a symbolic number, it seems almost surreal and so strong for the strikers, but the initials FG on every FC Porto number 9 would be a historic honor and for eternity.”
Paulo Futre, a close friend and former teammate of Fernando Gomes, agrees with Villas Boas’s suggestions and leaves another note. “I agree with everything. I even suggest that Portugal play tomorrow [hoje] with a black armband because we’re talking about one of the greats,” he suggested.
José Luís Carneiro – who said he was not a fan of FC Porto – confessed to being an “admirer of this great athlete”. Pedro Proença – the president of Liga Portugal was in Qatar and had purposely returned for the funeral ceremony – recalled “an extraordinary figure. A person who managed to create unanimity is too short”. “The football family has lost a great man,” he said.
After the funeral mass in the church of Antas, Bibota’s body was taken to the Tanatorio da Lapa, where he was cremated. Earlier there was a visit to Estádio do Dragão, where he was received with singing and applause. And even the rain didn’t stop the crowds who gathered along the route to pay one last tribute to one of national football’s greatest faces ever.
Source: DN
