How Porto Pulled Off A Surprise Transfer And Took Football Back In Time

Transfer news spreads for illustration wildfire successful this time and age. Leaks person go not only communal but expected, by clubs, journalists and agents. So erstwhile Porto unveiled Luuk de Jong, it stunned nan shot world. Not moreover labor and teammates knew until moments earlier his position astatine a friends against Atlético Madrid. So really did they propulsion it off?

What unfolded was a communicative pinch nan intrigue of a spy thriller. The striker was nan past to committee nan level he took from nan Netherlands to Porto past Sunday and timed his presence connected matchday to debar crossing paths pinch anyone. Upon landing, he was nan first disconnected nan level and ushered into a van pinch tinted windows that drove him to nan stadium. His entourage – anonymous to fans – collected his luggage.

In nan van nan club’s societal media squad were secretly gathering footage. “It’s rather strange,” De Jong told them. “In these times, pinch truthful overmuch societal media, to support thing for illustration this a concealed … It’s going to beryllium a large surprise. Let’s dream we tin support it quiet until nan presentation.”

The existent situation was yet to come: nan medical. To debar raising suspicion, Porto had registered De Jong successful nan clinic’s strategy arsenic a handball player. The doctors and nurses had nary thought they were assessing a high-profile shot transfer.

Once nan examinations were done, De Jong took a work assistance from nan clinic’s car shed to nan Estádio do Dragão’s first floor. There, he had a repast and waited. From a window, he watched his soon-to-be teammates get and saw them greeted by cheering fans, precocious fives exchanged and autographs signed. For 3 to 4 hours regular checks for leaks were made connected societal media among those successful nan know.

As kick-off approached, it was yet clip to present De Jong to nan team. The caput coach, Francesco Farioli, gathered nan squad successful nan dressing room and shocked them by stepping successful pinch nan erstwhile Barcelona and Netherlands striker. After a short reside from Farioli, De Jong said hullo to each subordinate successful turn. He will compete pinch Samu Aghehowa and Deniz Gül to lead nan attack.

It was pinch daze and disbelief that nan 49,000 fans successful attendance greeted De Jong, who scored 18 goals and provided 13 assists for PSV past play earlier his statement expired. The stadium announcer had been calling nan players retired 1 by 1 and earlier introducing nan captain, nan past to beryllium summoned, he teased a astonishment signing, listing his erstwhile clubs.

Then came nan reveal: “And now, our caller No 26, Luuk de Jong” – nan cue for nan 6ft 2in centre-forward to locomotion connected to nan pitch. Club journalists broadcasting nan position had to look up his sanction to cheque his stats, caught retired for illustration everyone else. The scheme was a success.

Luuk de Jong celebrates scoring for PSV Eindhoven successful May 2025, successful 1 of his past games for nan club. Photograph: Robin van Lonkhuijsen/EPA

“I person to springiness in installments to what Porto did pinch Luuk de Jong because location are ever a batch of group involved,” says Pedro Mendes, nan erstwhile Porto, Spurs and Portugal midfielder turned supplier for MNM Sports Management. “When negotiations are being done for a player, you person nan agents, nan buying club, [often] a trading club, moreover nan player’s family. The footballer tin inquire for friends’ aliases relatives’ opinions. Even wrong nan club, you person nan scouting department, nan financial director. It’s highly difficult.”

If a leak happens successful nan early stages, nan woody tin beryllium irreversibly damaged, Mendes says. He strives to support deals nether wraps but, successful nan property of societal media, that has go astir impossible. “At nan airport, location is simply a strategy successful spot to spot who goes successful aliases out,” he says. “When I was a player, that didn’t exist. From our end, we effort to support everything private.”

In nan 80s and 90s, Porto had a contented of unveiling a astonishment signing astatine what they word their position friendly. Back past keeping a concealed was comparatively easy — you conscionable had to support nan newspapers astatine bay. The president, André Villas-Boas, wanted to revive that tradition, rekindling a puerility representation and offering fans an unforgettable moment.

“The president told maine he remembered that, erstwhile he was a kid, nan position time ever came pinch a surprise,” De Jong said. “A subordinate they didn’t cognize conscionable stepping retired of nan tunnel. He told maine it would beryllium astonishing if we were capable to execute this today, particularly pinch societal media, travelling and airports. I told him we could springiness it a try.”

Farioli, who coached Ajax past season, led nan negotiations pinch De Jong. The 34-year-old was convinced by nan task and signed a one-year woody pinch an action to widen for different season. The process betwixt nan first talks and nan signing took astir a week. Only Villas-Boas and a fistful of Porto’s apical board knew and, for a fleeting moment, shot returned to a bygone era.