A journey into Sergio Conceicao’s past: from his passion for green and white to the teacher who discovered his talent – FC Porto

The story of the FC Porto coach’s early years is told by those who know him well

“My mother was a physical education teacher and had a soccer team that competed in school sports. Sergio was part of it and really stood out from the others. He was very competitive and had a different talent. He decided to take him to Academica,” said Ricardo Namora, who met Sergio on a youth team. Brioza after two years: “We played together at Académica and spent a lot of time together.” “We studied at the same high school and shared a locker room. It was a very important period in our development, not only on a sporting level but also on a personal level. During those six years we went through a lot and that was the beginning of a friendship that still continues today.”

To go back to Sergio Conceicao’s past is to go back to a time when FC Porto had not fully entered the life of one of the most successful coaches in its history. At the time, it was green and white that made Conceição come alive, something the coach never hid and which he made sure to explain through his association with Sporting Clube Reberense, the emblem of his local diocese.

Ricardo Namora said: “We all have our childhood passions… then life leads us to other things. That’s what happened. The relationship he later created with Porto went beyond everything, it was a club he learned to love and respect.” He added: “It was a lot about how things were done at the local level. Sergio was born in an area with a lot of sports. In fact, Sporting Clube Ribeira, a club from Ribera de Frades, is a sports team.” “There was a great tradition of being with Sporting. And those were the times when Portismo had practically not been around since Aveiro. But it is also worth highlighting that he was always a great academician. I think that at that time he shared his club’s passion a little bit.”

Moreover, Sporting was once again present in the Conceição family when Francisco, now starring at FC Porto, took his first steps in football at Alcochete. After three years wearing green and white, the winger headed north to represent his favorite club, and his arrival at Porto coincided with the arrival of his father as coach of the Dragons.

From leadership skills to generosity

Going back to the era in which Coimbra lived, Sergio Conceicao, say those who know him, was no different than it is today. Passionate, determined and very attached to his origins. “He stood out and from a certain point it was easy to understand that the jump would happen quickly. Académica had good teams and he was different from others. As a captain, he had very strong leadership, by example. He was competitive and determined.” “And passionate, almost innate traits that are still evident today,” said Riccardo Namora, adding that this way of being is perfectly reflected in his life today: “He is very attached to his origins, to his family, and he is very affectionate and passionate about life. Due to his humble roots, he has always been connected to He is very attached to his family and the place he grew up in. He left here very young. This can be seen in the family he built for himself, the way he was raised “relating to his wife and children and the education he gave them. At present, he is obviously doing well in life. He deserves all the best.”

For Ricardo Namora, who met Sergio Conceicao in his early years in the dressing room, at that time, things were already clear and indicated that his path would be to the bank. “It was hard to imagine, but at the same time there was something that was already there… He had the leadership ability of a few people, he led by example, he wasn’t someone who gave a lot of instructions, but it was because he really enjoyed playing… Football. I imagined he’d quit football at 40 or so. He really enjoyed playing. But I fully admit he already had some coaching qualities in him, at the time. “We didn’t think much of it,” said his former teammate.

Finally, ask to share it with your readers register, some of the stories he shared with Sergio Conceicao, Ricardo Namora joked that there are “too many balls to tell” and chose to entrust an episode that, in his opinion, perfectly depicts the kindness and humility that have always characterized your friend. “There’s something that really touched me, showing that he’s a very special human being and something he’s always had, which is great generosity. Excellence. We went to play an inter-union tournament. We lost the first game and everything.” “It went wrong for me… I was a striker, and in the second match of the tournament, I scored two goals. In the third and final match, with no ambitions to win the competition, what was left for me was to be considered.” “Top scorer. I needed to score a goal. Sergio, at one point, asked me to put myself in a certain position and he would offer me a goal. And so it was. He made an incredible zig-zag, leaving about seven rivals behind him. “He could have scored A goal that, today, will one day go viral on the Internet. But he didn’t, he came to me and passed the ball to me. I just had to touch it. It was a gesture.” Ricardo Namora said: “Generosity that I have never forgotten. “It says a lot about his character and how much he cares about the well-being of others.”

Written by José Miguel Machado