The annual Liga Portugal Awards ceremony recently played out, a night typically filled with celebration. This year, the event also paused to remember those in football who left us over the past year. Among the notable figures honored was the late president of FC Porto, a man whose legacy is deeply woven into the sport’s fabric.
During the proceedings, his son, Alexandre, stepped forward. He accepted a remembrance on behalf of his father. Reinaldo Teixeira, the president of Liga Portugal, presented this token of respect. It seemed a standard moment, a public nod to a great career.
However, the late president’s daughter, Joana Pinto da Costa, saw things differently. She took to social media to voice her strong disapproval. She shared another person’s post, which included images from the very ceremony. To this, she added her own blunt comment: “The circus continues…”
Joana’s reaction points to a deeper story, a sentiment her father had expressed quite clearly. The post she shared also contained a powerful quote from his last published book. In it, Pinto da Costa made his wishes undeniable. “Pinto da Costa does not want a posthumous homage: ‘Woe to whoever goes there’,” the book stated. These were his precise words, leaving little room for doubt about his feelings on public tributes after his passing.
It appears a line was crossed, at least in the eyes of his daughter. The public honor clashed sharply with the private wishes of the man it aimed to celebrate. This brings up an interesting question about how we remember those who shaped our games. Sometimes, the most respectful tribute might be to simply honor their last wishes, no matter how unconventional they seem.
