A BOLA – Leça’s memories when he won Sporting (Portuguese Cup)
Last season of Leça in the I Division, 11th journey, borrowed house in Marco de Canaveses, December 1, 1997. This is the tape of one of the greatest Leça victories in the three straight seasons of the League. Sporting falls, beaten by a goal from Fran Nogueira, after an incredible move signed by Pedro Estrela. I play on its final curve and a euphoric Vítor Manuel on the bench celebrating in the rain.
Leça faces the lions at that time in the Cup of Portugal, finishes in 12th place but goes down in the secretariat. Sunk in a nightmare, he never again played among the best and the fall that followed was embarrassing and dizzying. Years of wounded pride accumulate and, far from the stages of the past, Leça wants to continue making history, even if now he’s going to examine a panel with the national champion. Along the well-known path Arouca and Gil Vicente, from the League, so there is art and resilience to sell, even if only for the delight of the imagination.
Leça da Palmeira vibrates in the present with the energy of a team that was able to go from III to I almost without paying tolls. The stars of the nineties are celebrated. Vladan, Jovanovic, Ricardo Carvalho, Nando, Isaías, Alfaia, Cao, Zé da Rocha, Sérgio Conceição, Constantino or Serifo. But this time, A BOLA went to discover those who built this memorable victory over Sporting. Pedro Estrela, an employee of the Municipality of Olhão, as operational assistant at the Municipal Stadium, and Fran Nogueira, owner of a sundry shop in Narón, near Ferrol. They were the ones who broke the Belgian De Wilde. The 48-year-old Algarvian played only that season in Leça, failing to join Racing Santander, after brilliant campaigns at SC Braga.
“I remember perfectly. It was a move already inside the Sporting area, I dribbled and made a cross for the Spaniard who headed it. I was the man of the game! I had this intuition to observe the movements of my colleagues. I knew that Fran was attacking very well in that area », explains the former creative. The Spaniard is Fran Nogueira, better said, a Galician who had left a great image in Ferrol and played in Leça for three and a half seasons. It fits perfectly with Constantino and Serifo. Sign 30 goals.
«It was a game of high expectations and illusions for the weavers, broadcast on television. I score with the head in a move in my style, benefiting from the quality of Pedro Estrela that many assists of this kind have. In my head, I was quite strong and I even remember scoring from outside the area. I have in my memory a pass from our defense of Alfaia », retreats Fran.
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