Latest news with #PortoFC
The Guardian
13 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
How Porto pulled off a surprise transfer and took football back in time
Transfer news spreads like wildfire in this day and age. Leaks have become not only common but expected, by clubs, journalists and agents. So when Porto unveiled Luuk de Jong, it stunned the football world. Not even employees and teammates knew until moments before his presentation at a friendly against Atlético Madrid. So how did they pull it off? What unfolded was a story with the intrigue of a spy thriller. The striker was the last to board the plane he took from the Netherlands to Porto last Sunday and timed his arrival on matchday to avoid crossing paths with anyone. Upon landing, he was the first off the plane and ushered into a van with tinted windows that drove him to the stadium. His entourage – anonymous to fans – collected his luggage. In the van the club's social media team were secretly gathering footage. 'It's quite strange,' De Jong told them. 'In these times, with so much social media, to keep something like this a secret … It's going to be a big surprise. Let's hope we can keep it quiet until the presentation.' The real challenge was yet to come: the medical. To avoid raising suspicion, Porto had registered De Jong in the clinic's system as a handball player. The doctors and nurses had no idea they were assessing a high-profile football transfer. Once the examinations were done, De Jong took a service lift from the clinic's garage to the Estádio do Dragão's first floor. There, he had a meal and waited. From a window, he watched his soon-to-be teammates arrive and saw them greeted by cheering fans, high fives exchanged and autographs signed. For three to four hours regular checks for leaks were made on social media among those in the know. As kick-off approached, it was finally time to introduce De Jong to the team. The head coach, Francesco Farioli, gathered the squad in the dressing room and shocked them by walking in with the former Barcelona and Netherlands striker. After a short speech from Farioli, De Jong said hello to each player in turn. He will compete with Samu Aghehowa and Deniz Gül to lead the attack. It was with shock and disbelief that the 49,000 fans in attendance greeted De Jong, who scored 18 goals and provided 13 assists for PSV last season before his contract expired. The stadium announcer had been calling the players out one by one and before introducing the captain, the last to be summoned, he teased a surprise signing, listing his previous clubs. Then came the reveal: 'And now, our new No 26, Luuk de Jong' – the cue for the 6ft 2in centre-forward to walk on to the pitch. Club journalists broadcasting the presentation had to look up his name to check his stats, caught out like everyone else. The plan was a success. 'I have to give credit to what Porto did with Luuk de Jong because there are always a lot of people involved,' says Pedro Mendes, the former Porto, Spurs and Portugal midfielder turned agent for MNM Sports Management. 'When negotiations are being done for a player, you have the agents, the buying club, [often] a selling club, even the player's family. The footballer can ask for friends' or relatives' opinions. Even inside the club, you have the scouting department, the financial director. It's extremely difficult.' Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion If a leak happens in the early stages, the deal can be irreversibly damaged, Mendes says. He strives to keep deals under wraps but, in the age of social media, that has become nearly impossible. 'At the airport, there is a system in place to see who goes in or out,' he says. 'When I was a player, that didn't exist. From our end, we try to keep everything private.' In the 80s and 90s, Porto had a tradition of unveiling a surprise signing at what they term their presentation friendly. Back then keeping a secret was relatively easy — you just had to keep the newspapers at bay. The president, André Villas-Boas, wanted to revive that tradition, rekindling a childhood memory and offering fans an unforgettable moment. 'The president told me he remembered that, when he was a kid, the presentation day always came with a surprise,' De Jong said. 'A player they didn't know just walking out of the tunnel. He told me it would be amazing if we were able to achieve this today, especially with social media, travelling and airports. I told him we could give it a try.' Farioli, who coached Ajax last season, led the negotiations with De Jong. The 34-year-old was convinced by the project and signed a one-year deal with an option to extend for another season. The process between the initial talks and the signing took about a week. Only Villas-Boas and a handful of Porto's top directors knew and, for a fleeting moment, football returned to a bygone era.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
How Porto pulled off a surprise transfer and took football back in time
Transfer news spreads like wildfire in this day and age. Leaks have become not only common but expected, by clubs, journalists and agents. So when Porto unveiled Luuk de Jong, it stunned the football world. Not even employees and teammates knew until moments before his presentation at a friendly against Atlético Madrid. So how did they pull it off? What unfolded was a story with the intrigue of a spy thriller. The striker was the last to board the plane he took from the Netherlands to Porto last Sunday and timed his arrival on matchday to avoid crossing paths with anyone. Upon landing, he was the first off the plane and ushered into a van with tinted windows that drove him to the stadium. His entourage – anonymous to fans – collected his luggage. In the van the club's social media team were secretly gathering footage. 'It's quite strange,' De Jong told them. 'In these times, with so much social media, to keep something like this a secret … It's going to be a big surprise. Let's hope we can keep it quiet until the presentation.' The real challenge was yet to come: the medical. To avoid raising suspicion, Porto had registered De Jong in the clinic's system as a handball player. The doctors and nurses had no idea they were assessing a high-profile football transfer. Once the examinations were done, De Jong took a service lift from the clinic's garage to the Estádio do Dragão's first floor. There, he had a meal and waited. From a window, he watched his soon-to-be teammates arrive and saw them greeted by cheering fans, high fives exchanged and autographs signed. For three to four hours regular checks for leaks were made on social media among those in the know. As kick-off approached, it was finally time to introduce De Jong to the team. The head coach, Francesco Farioli, gathered the squad in the dressing room and shocked them by walking in with the former Barcelona and Netherlands striker. After a short speech from Farioli, De Jong said hello to each player in turn. He will compete with Samu Aghehowa and Deniz Gül to lead the attack. It was with shock and disbelief that the 49,000 fans in attendance greeted De Jong, who scored 18 goals and provided 13 assists for PSV last season before his contract expired. The stadium announcer had been calling the players out one by one and before introducing the captain, the last to be summoned, he teased a surprise signing, listing his previous clubs. Then came the reveal: 'And now, our new No 26, Luuk de Jong' – the cue for the 6ft 2in centre-forward to walk on to the pitch. Club journalists broadcasting the presentation had to look up his name to check his stats, caught out like everyone else. The plan was a success. 'I have to give credit to what Porto did with Luuk de Jong because there are always a lot of people involved,' says Pedro Mendes, the former Porto, Spurs and Portugal midfielder turned agent for MNM Sports Management. 'When negotiations are being done for a player, you have the agents, the buying club, [often] a selling club, even the player's family. The footballer can ask for friends' or relatives' opinions. Even inside the club, you have the scouting department, the financial director. It's extremely difficult.' Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion If a leak happens in the early stages, the deal can be irreversibly damaged, Mendes says. He strives to keep deals under wraps but, in the age of social media, that has become nearly impossible. 'At the airport, there is a system in place to see who goes in or out,' he says. 'When I was a player, that didn't exist. From our end, we try to keep everything private.' In the 80s and 90s, Porto had a tradition of unveiling a surprise signing at what they term their presentation friendly. Back then keeping a secret was relatively easy — you just had to keep the newspapers at bay. The president, André Villas-Boas, wanted to revive that tradition, rekindling a childhood memory and offering fans an unforgettable moment. 'The president told me he remembered that, when he was a kid, the presentation day always came with a surprise,' De Jong said. 'A player they didn't know just walking out of the tunnel. He told me it would be amazing if we were able to achieve this today, especially with social media, travelling and airports. I told him we could give it a try.' Farioli, who coached Ajax last season, led the negotiations with De Jong. The 34-year-old was convinced by the project and signed a one-year deal with an option to extend for another season. The process between the initial talks and the signing took about a week. Only Villas-Boas and a handful of Porto's top directors knew and, for a fleeting moment, football returned to a bygone era.
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Jorge Costa, Champions League winning captain of Porto, dies at 53
PORTO, Portugal (AP) — Jorge Costa, who captained Porto to the 2004 Champions League title, died Tuesday of cardiac arrest, the club said. He was 53. Costa, a central defender who made 50 international appearances for Portugal, was Porto's director of football at the time of his death. The club's said in its announcement that Costa embodied Porto's values: 'dedication, leadership, passion, and an unwavering spirit of conquest.' Portuguese media reported that Costa sustained cardiac arrest at the club's training center and was transported to São João Hospital. Costa's finest achievement in his playing career was as captain of Jose Mourinho's Porto team that was a surprise winner of the Champions League in 2004. A year earlier, he lifted the second-tier UEFA Cup. Costa also helped Porto win eight Portuguese league titles. He spent a short period on loan at English team Charlton in the 2001-02 season. 'To hear of a life taken at 53 is never nice to hear, but he's a former teammate who had such a great standing in the game and captained a Champions League winning side,' said Steve Brown, chair of Charlton's ex-players' association. 'He was loved at Charlton, a man mountain of a player and a great guy too.' ___ AP soccer:
The Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Jorge Costa dead at 53: Jose Mourinho's Champions League-winning Porto captain and ex-Premier League star dies
THE captain of Jose Mourinho's Porto Champions League winning team has died at the age of 53. Jorge Costa died of a cardiac arrest on Tuesday while at Porto's training centre in Olival, according to reports in Portugal.
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Surprise for Porto fans as unexpected signing Luuk de Jong presented at stadium before match
PORTO, Portugal (AP) — Portuguese club Porto surprised its fans ahead of a preseason friendly match on Sunday by announcing the signing of striker Luuk de Jong. The club introduced its players and other signings for the new season, then brought out De Jong to be presented in front of the fans at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto. The 34-year-old Dutch player came out from the tunnel to salute the crowd after being introduced by a stadium announcer. De Jong, a former Dutch international, was signed after playing for PSV Eindhoven. He previously played for Barcelona and Sevilla, among other clubs. Porto played the preseason game against Atletico Madrid. ___ AP soccer:
