A familiar face, etched in the history books, has returned home. Rui Borges, the most celebrated swimmer in FC Porto’s past, is now the club’s new head swimming coach. This reunion comes three decades after he last competed for the Dragons.
Borges takes over the blue and white team after a successful run at Clube Fluvial Portuense. He led that club since the 2012-13 season. His coaching journey also included time with Sporting de Braga and Leixões. He steps into the role previously held by José Manuel Borges. José Manuel will remain with the technical staff, focusing more on open water events.
For Rui Borges, this return is a dream come true. “This is my dream chair,” he shared through FC Porto’s media channels. “I was an athlete here for 28 years. I left exactly 30 years ago. But this was always my heart club, naturally.” He explained how he had to compete against FC Porto professionally. Now, he feels immense joy to be back.
Borges is a true legend for the Porto club. He holds the record for the most medals. During his 28-year swimming career, he won 258 national championship titles. He retired from competing in 1995. Before that, he represented Portugal at the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988. He then started a coaching career that now spans 30 years.
Borges reflected on his growth. “It’s a different Rui Borges than the one who left here as an athlete,” he explained. “It’s Rui Borges the coach.” He remembered being an athlete who gave everything for his team. He even started his coaching path at FC Porto, assisting Teresa Figueiras with the children’s team. The next 29 years took him to SC Braga, Leixões, and Clube Fluvial Portuense. He called those years a great learning experience. His background as a top-level swimmer helped, he said, but true experience comes from hard work.
Looking ahead, Borges has clear goals. He wants to help the club regain its top spot in national swimming. He also aims to boost their presence on the international stage. This means having more athletes compete in World Championships and Olympic Games.
“We will try to put our club back at the top,” he promised. “We want more international participation, with as many athletes as possible.” He believes the club has “spectacular training conditions.” “We need to believe,” he added. “We will all believe from now on and work very hard for that.” He stressed that the club’s leadership is fully committed to making the swimming section highly competitive.
At 58 years old, Rui Borges’s signing marks the return of a highly decorated figure in FC Porto’s history. His new mission is to guide a fresh generation of swimmers to the sport’s biggest stages.