This Friday, the president of FC Porto highlighted the importance of “looking to the future” during the presentation of the book ‘Largos Anos tem 14,600 dias’, which portrays in photographs the 40 years of Pinto da Costa’s presidency.
In an act attended by around 100 personalities and supporters, the leader of the ‘dragões’ chose the pages that moved him the most, highlighting “those of the prologue of D. Américo”, which he knew when the auxiliary bishop of Lisbon was still known as “Father Americo”.
“Immediately we had an empathy and I saw that he was the extension and the substitute of D. António Francisco together with me. Therefore, when they asked him to write the prologue and he accepted, he felt honored. And when I read those words, I know that they are from the heart and inspiration of D. António Francisco. It is the most important part of the book”, he stressed.
Even so, and despite the fact that the book portrays past moments, Pinto da Costa guaranteed that the focus should be on the future.
“We all have to have the notion that the past is for Joel Cleto, a great historian, not for us. The past is in the museum. Anyone who wants to see it, goes there and understands what FC Porto is. Competing is watching to the future And looking to the future is looking to the past, being worthy of it and bringing to FC Porto the young people and children who need us, so that they find in sport other virtues that they cannot find in other activities and vices.”, he is stressed.
For Pinto da Costa, this book means “many victories”, thus admitting that it is difficult to say which photographs move him the most.
“It is evident that the photo with Pope John Paul II and the photo with D. António receiving the Dragon of Honor are special, as well as the photo with D. Américo and Ramalho Eanes, which was important in this 40-year success, and With those people who have already left, like Reinaldo Teles and Teles Roxo, who touched me and helped me a lot, and who are perpetuated in this book, it gave me immense satisfaction that they have chosen so many photographs of those who unfortunately are not here. with us,” he said.
Source: TSF
