A port wine merchant's English souvenir became Portugal's most decorated club
António Nicolau de Almeida sold port wine and fell for football on business trips to England. In 1893 he founded a club in Porto, and a year later the king and queen travelled north to watch it play Lisbon. Family pressure soon drew him away, the club fell dormant, and another England returnee had to revive it.
Founded on 28 September 1893, the club faded around 1900 until José Monteiro da Costa, back from studying in England, restarted it on 2 August 1906 to bring the game beyond the city's British community. It played its first foreign opponent, Spain's Real Fortuna, in December 1907, and in 1922 beat Sporting CP to become the first national champion of Portugal. Porto also won the first edition of the round-robin Primeira Liga, taking 10 of its 14 matches.
Long droughts followed. A 16-year wait ended in 1955–56 with a first league and cup double, then came another lean spell, including a worst-ever ninth place in 1969–70. In December 1973 captain Pavão, 26, collapsed during a match and died. The turnaround began when former player José Maria Pedroto returned as coach, ending a 19-year league drought, and later came back alongside new president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa.
Europe was conquered in 1987. Porto were a goal down to Bayern Munich in the European Cup final deep into the second half, then struck twice in quick succession, the first a celebrated backheel by Algerian forward Rabah Madjer, who then set up Juary for the winner. Months later Porto added the Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup, and in 1987–88 won the domestic league with a record 88 goals.
Porto has 88 major trophies, the most in Portugal, including 31 league titles and seven international honours, among them a second Champions League in 2004. It is one of three Portuguese clubs never relegated from the top division, and twice went an entire league season unbeaten. Its crest carries a dragon, earning the nickname dragões, and since 2003 it has played at the Estádio do Dragão.
Source: FC Porto
