Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa

Jorge Nuno de Lima Pinto da Costa, pron. IPA2|'ʒɾɾʒ(ɨ) 'nunu 'pĩtu dɐ 'koʃtɐ, (b. Cedofeita, Porto, December 28, 1937) is a Portuguese businessman and the President of Portuguese sports club F.C. Porto.

Pinto da Costa is a charismatic leader of FC Porto and a polarizing figure in Portuguese football. He is hugely popular among the followers of F.C. Porto, which he led to become one of the top European clubs. His long stint as leader of FC Porto, and his deep knowledge of the inner works of Portuguese football earned him the nickname of "the Pope" ("o Papa").

Years of domestic success - soccer

Domestic success continued to be a hallmark of FC Porto in subsequent years, and 1995-1999 became the highest note of Portuguese domestic competition ever. Following titles by Bobby Robson (1995 and 1996) and António Oliveira (1997 and 1998), Fernando Santos captured a record-setting 5th consecutive title in 1999.Porto later achieved 2nd place in the championship but won the 2000 and 2001 Portuguese Cups (whilst reaching the European Quarterfinals in both seasons) only to replace Fernando Santos with Octávio Machado. Octávio however only had a short stint at Porto. His replacement would be José Mourinho.

1999 Sweep

In the end of the 1998/99 season FCPorto swept the Portuguese professional sports by winning all the competiotions in which it had a professional team: football, handball, basketball and rink hockey. These sports constitute the most important team sports in Portugal, plus volleyball, which FCPorto has not had as a team for several years. It also won the swimming national championship which made a total of 5 championship titles in the same year. In Portugal was called the "double penta" making reference to the 5 consecutive championships in football.

The José Mourinho era

Mourinho joined Porto in January 2002, the club languishing in 5th place on the table. Mourinho would ensure a UEFA Cup berth for the following season, ending the league in 3rd. Summer of 2002 saw a lot of movement on the transfer market by Porto. The bets consisted mainly on Portuguese players playing in Portugal, yet to prove their true worth, as well as, for the most part, little known foreigners. It most certainly worked and such was Mourinho's impressive work in FC Porto that he managed to lead the club to two glorious seasons in 2003 and 2004, wrapping up consecutive Portuguese titles and a UEFA Cup and Champions League in succession. During this period Pinto da Costa remained somewhat on Mourinho's shadow and allowed him a very firm grip on all matters regarding football.

The post-Mourinho era

Victory in the Champions League final in 2004 meant that Mourinho left Porto, looking for another challenge in a bigger league. He was replaced by Luigi Del Neri, who only lasted 4 weeks on the job. In came Victor Fernandez, who qualified the club for the Champions League last 16 and won the Intercontinental Cup. He was sacked in late January 2005 following a home defeat to Sporting Braga which saw the club lose the championship lead. José Couceiro took over and led the club to a final standing of 2nd in the league. He subsequently resigned his post.

In late May 2005, Co Adriaanse, former coach of Willem II, Ajax Amsterdam and AZ Alkmaar, was designated as the new FC Porto coach.

Under his guidance, FC Porto has predominantly become an attacking team and the results have been mixed, solid performances mixed with severe defensive flaws. European results in particular were terrible and Porto suffered a humiliating exit from the UEFA Champions League in the groups stage.

However, Co Adriaanse still guided Porto to a domestic double, wrapping up the title with 2 games to spare and beating Vitória de Setúbal for the Cup final.

Adriaanse resigned in the pre-season to the 2006/7 season, due to internal disputes with the clubs board, and was subsequently replaced by ex-Benfica and Braga manager Jesualdo Ferreira, who had only just joined arch-rivals Boavista that season, and left without managing a single competitive match for Boavista.

Club performance

Under his presidency, FC Porto won several titles in all sports levels and activities:

Soccer (Professional):

*16 National Championships (1984/85, 1985/86, 1987/88, 1989/90, 1991/92, 1992/93, 1994/95, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1997/98, 1998/99, 2002/03, 2003/04, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08).
*9 Cups of Portugal (1983/84, 1987/88, 1990/91, 1993/94, 1997/98, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2005/2006).
*14 Supercups (1982/83, 1983/84, 1985/86, 1989/90, 1990/91, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1995/96, 1997/98, 1998/99, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2003/04, 2005/06).
*2 European Champions Cups (1986/87, 2003/04).
*2 Intercontinental Cups (1986/87, 2003/2004).
*1 European Supercup (1986/87).
*1 UEFA Cup (2002/03).

Soccer (Juniors)

*8 National Championships (1983/84, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1989/90, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1997/98, 2000/01).

Soccer (Juvenis)

*9 National Championships (1981/82, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1987/88, 1988/89, 1994/95, 1997/98, 2001/02, 2002/03).

Soccer ("Iniciados")

*6 Campeonatos nacionais (1985/86, 1989/90, 1996/97, 1997/98, 1999/00, 2001/02).

Soccer ("Infantis")

*2 Taças nacionais (1987/88, 1992/93).

Hand-ball

*4 National Championships (1998/99, 2001/02, 2002/03, 2003/04).
*1 League Cup (2003/04).
*4 Supercup (1994/95, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2002/03).
*1 Portuguese cup (1993/94).

Basketball

*4 National Championships (1982/83, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1998/99).
*7 Portuguese cup (1985/86, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1990/91, 1996/97, 1998/99, 2003/04).
*4 League cup (1999/00, 2001/02, 2003/04, 2007/08).
*5 Supercup (1987/88, 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2003/04).

Rink hockey

*15 National Championships (1982/83, 1983/84, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1990/91, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2001/02, 2002/03, 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06).
*11 Portuguese cups (1982/83, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1988/89, 1995/96, 1997/98, 1998/99, 2004/05, 2005/06).
*14 Supercups (1983/84, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1990/91, 1991/92, 1995/96, 1997/98, 1998/99, 2004/05, 2005/06).
*2 Champions league (1985/86, 1989/90).
*2 Cup winners cup (1981/82, 1982/83).
*2 CERS Cups (1993/94, 1995/96).
*1 European Supercup (1986/87).

Volleyball

* 1 National Championship (1985/86).
* 2 Portuguese cups (1986/87, 1987/88).

Billiards

*9 National Championships (1982/83, 1983/84, 1987/88, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1996/97, 1999/2000, 2001/02, 2002/03).

Billiards - Pool

*3 National Championships (2000/01, 2001/02, 2002/03).

Boxing Senior "consagrados"

*7 National Championships (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2002).

Boxing Senior "iniciados"

*5 National Championships (1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003).

Swimming - Male

*8 National Championships (1983/84, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1987/88, 1989/90, 1990/91, 1991/92, 1998/99).

Swimming - Female

*10 National Championships (1983/84, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1990/91, 1991/92, 1993/94, 1997/98, 1999/2000).

Weight lifting

*2 National Championships (2002, 2003).

Track and Field - Men

*1 National Championship (2001)
*1 Portuguese cup (1993/94).

The "Apito Dourado" affair and other controversies

Pinto da Costa, [ [http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200412/s1257302.htm Police raid HQ of European champions Porto, ABC (Source: AFP-Agence France-Presse), December 3, 2004] , accessed December 2006] is one of the people investigated by the police as part of the "Apito Dourado" (Golden Whistle) [ [http://english.people.com.cn/200612/13/text20061213_331926.html "Golden Whistle" case makes progress in Portugal, People's Daily Online (Source: Xinhua), December 13, 2006] , accessed December 2006] sports corruption scandal in Portuguese football.

Pinto da Costa was formally accused of corruption on Tuesday, June 12th of 2007, along with Reinaldo Teles, another member of FC Porto's administration. [ [http://www.record.pt/noticia.asp?id=748069&idCanal=17 "Pinto da Costa and Reinaldo Teles accused of corruption", Record, March 12, 2007] (in Portuguese)]

In December 2006 his former partner - Carolina Salgado, published the book "Eu, Carolina" ("I, Carolina") where she made serious accusations against Pinto da Costa (including match fixing, bribing referees with prostitutes and ordering the beating of Gondomar councilman Ricardo Bexiga). [ [http://www.mundopt.com/n-pinto-da-costa-interrogado-sobre-agressoes-a-ricardo-bexiga-10558.html "Pinto da Costa questioned about Ricardo Bexiga", TSF, March 14, 2007] (in Portuguese)] [ [http://www.correiodamanha.pt/noticia.asp?id=223726&idselect=133&idCanal=133&p=22 "Carolina Salgado Testemunha da Judiciária", Correio da Manhã, December 12, 2006] , accessed December 2006 (in Portuguese)] Pinto da Costa denied all the accusations made by the former partner Carolina and claims she tried to use the book to blackmail him.

The 2007 film "Corrupção" is based on Carolina Salgado's account of this case.

Following the result of the inquiry, Pinto da Costa has vowed to appeal the two-year ban placed on him in order to clear his name as well as the club's. In a short interview, he stated that, "We will not appeal the points deductions and we will still have a 14 or 15 point lead. But FC Porto’s honour will be salvaged because I, personally, as president and a citizen, will appeal on Monday to the Justice Council. After this appeal we will wait to see the truth come out and it will allow us to show there is no reason for FC Porto to have been penalised." [ [http://www.portugoal.net/Home0708/200805102CorruptionFallOut.htm “Final Whistle” corruption fall-out: Porto president to fight ban || Portuguese football/soccer ] ]

Family

He was married firstly at Paranhos, Porto, on April 6, 1964 to Manuela Carmona Graça (b. Foz do Douro, Porto, April 15, 1941), a Licentiate in Historical Sciences, daughter of Alberto da Silva Graça (Foz do Douro, Porto, May 18, 1915 – Paranhos, Porto, October 2, 1975) and wife (m. Cedofeita, Porto, May 18, 1940) Noémia Armanda Branco Carmona (b. Chaves, March 11, 1914), daughter of the natural son of a paternal uncle of President António Carmona, by whom he had a son Alexandre Jorge Graça Pinto da Costa (b. Santo Ildefonso, Porto, April 26, 1967), who was one of his right-hand men for many years at the Futebol Clube do Porto but ended up turning his back on his father after allegedly owing his son some money for his activities. The couple divorced on December 23, 1997 and he married secondly Filomena Morais, by whom he already had a daughter Joana Morais Pinto da Costa (b. 1987). Though the couple had litigiously divorced, they recently remarried, as of 2007.

The fourth of six children of José Alexandrino Teixeira da Costa (Foz do Douro, Porto, June 9, 1910 – Aldoar, Porto, December 6, 1977), a Merchant, and wife (m. Cedofeita, Porto, November 15, 1932) Maria Elisa Bessa de Lima de Amorim Pinto (São Mamede de Infesta, Matosinhos, May 15, 1913 – November 14, 1997), one of his brothers is José Eduardo Pinto da Costa, one of Portugal's foremost experts in Legal Medicine, and former director of Porto's Legal Medicine Institute.

References