Pinto da Costa explained decision in 2001/02: «Octávio Machado and assistant didn’t want Jardel» – FC Porto

“One of the best assistants ever at FC Porto” had a preponderant role, already as head coach, in Mário Jardel’s move to Sporting, in 2001/02. This was one of the strong ideas, not before taken on face to face, in yesterday’s edition of the documentary series “Ironias do Destino”, in which Pinto da Costa reviews his 39 years of presidency.

“Things didn’t go very well, that’s the life of coaches, but he was a person who correctly marked his time at FC Porto”, said Pinto da Costa, about Octávio Machado, recalling in detail the process he went through with Mário Jardel: “He was unexpectedly free and showed willingness to come to FC Porto. We said yes, it was even Reinaldo Teles who picked him up at the airport. He left there already with his FC Porto scarf, during the afternoon he even bought an apartment in Porto and then everything was ready to be consummated the next day. At night, Reinaldo Teles and I went to the Tivoli hotel, where the team was and we told Octávio and his assistant, Rui Oliveira, that there was a possibility that Jardel would come and they thought they didn’t want to. I remember they said they had the team set up to play in 4x4x2 and Jardel didn’t fit in that scheme. Above all, it was the teacher’s influence, he understood that it wasn’t. Clearly, hiring a player the coaches don’t want didn’t make sense.”

The blue and white leader also recalled the process of hiring José Mourinho, who was about to return to Benfica when he moved to FC Porto: “It was three in the morning, I woke up Dr. Adelino Caldeira to come and sign a contract with Mourinho . It was agreed that he would remain in Leiria, he was not to come soon…”

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By André Monteiro