On April 21, 2004, this Friday, exactly 19 years ago, the Portuguese club Porto, led by Jose Mourinho, hosted Deportivo da Coronha, in the Champions League semi-final first leg (0-0). In the 87th minute, Jorge Andrade saw referee Marcus Merck show him a red card for kicking Deco. “During training, I had a stupid addiction to order everyone to stand with my feet, instead of going there with my hands. I was armed with Fernando Cotto,” recalls the former centre-back. “Didn’t that happen in the match? Deco was on the ground complaining…the referee came over, showed me the red and said, ‘He’s out’ [fora]Jorge Andrade continued, still in an interview with Canal Porto. On the same day, the game ended and we agreed to go to dinner with the families, and we got along very well. When I had dinner, even Deku’s mother was crying and asked, “But aren’t you friends?” , said Jorge Andrade on the program “Hora dos Craques”.
The former central player says that even today, there are players from the blue and white who thank him for sending him off. Recall that in the return match, Jorge Andrade, who was suspended, was replaced by Cesar, who committed the penalty with which Derle secured qualification to the final of Gelsenkirchen.
Agatha Christie is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, books, and current affairs. She is committed to producing accurate, informative content that helps readers stay informed about the latest developments in the UK and beyond.
