In the often-predictable world of sports goodbyes, Andoni Zubizarreta offered something different. The former sporting director for FC Porto recently stepped away from his role. He chose to share his farewell thoughts not with a simple press release, but with a deeply personal message posted on LinkedIn.
Zubizarreta reflected on his time with the club. He called the experience “intense and short.” He praised the city, calling it “magnificent,” and described FC Porto as an “exceptional club.” He also spoke highly of the staff, noting them as “magnificent and dedicated professionals.” His journey with the team saw both victories and losses, happy moments and sad ones. Through it all, he learned a great deal, stating he was “returning home more lucid” after his time there.
However, the farewell took an unexpected turn. Zubizarreta added a quote from a well-known poet, Fernando Pessoa. These lines added a layer of profound thought to his departure.
The quote reads:
“I am defeated today, as if I knew the truth.
I am lucid today, as if I were about to die.
And had no more brotherhood with things.
Only a farewell, turning this house and this side of the street
Into a line of train carriages, and a whistled departure
From inside my head.
And a jolt of my nerves and a grinding of bones on the way out.”
It’s a rare sight to see such introspection in a sports executive’s public message. Zubizarreta’s choice of words, especially Pessoa’s poem, made his goodbye truly stand out. It wasn’t just a career move; it felt like a deeply felt transition.
