Jorge Nuno de Lima Pinto da Costa (born 28 December 1937) is a Portuguese football chairman, currently in charge of F.C. Porto.
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Pinto da Costa was born in Porto, the son of José Alexandrino Teixeira da Costa and Maria Elisa Bessa Lima de Amorim Pinto, who fathered other four children, including future renowned forensic pathologist José Eduardo.[1]
In his late teens, Jorge Nuno started working as a bank teller. Shortly after, he began collaborating with F.C. Porto, while keeping his day job; in 1953, upon the completion of his 16th birthday, his maternal grandmother registered him as a club associate, and he was an early frequent attender of the team's football and hockey games, eventually going on to work in directorial capacities in the latter department, in his early 20's.
From 1969–71, Pinto da Costa was in charge of all of Porto's Modalidades Amadoras (amateur sections). After five years, he returned to the club, being pressured by some friends after Brazilian player Amarildo, nearly acquired by the club, fled to city rivals Boavista F.C. at the last-hour.
In 1980, then the club's director of football, Pinto da Costa left Porto in the wake of the Verão Quente (Hot summer), alongside manager José Maria Pedroto and 15 first-team players, who had entered in "collision course" with chairman Américo de Sá.[2] On 17 May 1982, he became the club's 33rd president, being in charge as the hockey section won the first title in its 27 years of history (the Portuguese Cup), and the football department added 55 trophies, including 18 national championships - a national record five consecutive from 1995–99 - and two UEFA Champions League trophies.
Pinto da Costa was one of the people investigated by the police as part of the Apito Dourado (Golden Whistle) sports corruption scandal in Portuguese football.[3] He was formally accused of corruption on 12 June 2007, along with Reinaldo Teles, another member of FC Porto's administration.[4]
In December 2006, Pinto da Costa's former mistress and a former escort, Carolina Salgado, published the book Eu, Carolina (I, Carolina), funded by S.L. Benfica president Luís Filipe Vieira, where she made serious allegations against Pinto da Costa (including match fixing, bribing referees with prostitutes, and ordering the beating of Gondomar councilman Ricardo Bexiga).[5][6] He denied all the accusations, claiming she tried to use the book to blackmail him.[7]
Following the inquiry, Pinto da Costa vowed to appeal the two-year ban placed on him in order to clear both his and the club's names. In a short interview, he stated: "We will not appeal the points deductions and we will still have a 14 or 15-point lead. But FC Porto's honour will be salvaged because I, personally, as president and a citizen, will appeal on Monday to the Justice Council. After this appeal, we will wait to see the truth come out and it will allow us to show there is no reason for FC Porto to have been penalised."[8]
In early April 2009, Pinto da Costa was cleared of any allegations relating to bribery or any case dealing with Apito Dourado.[9][10]
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