He wanted to be a football player and received an invitation from Aurélio Pereira to join Sporting’s squad. However, roller hockey, which started by chance, gained space in his life.
“It was just a game and a way to be with friends”, he remembers. “Until I went to Paço de Arcos, when I was around 16 years old, I never thought about being a professional sportsman.”
It was precisely at this club that he won the CERS Cup, equivalent to the Europa League in football, establishing himself from then on as an unavoidable figure in Portuguese hockey. Throughout his career, he played for Benfica for several seasons and also played for FC Porto. With the national team, he became European champion in 1998 and was considered the best player at the 2001 World Cup.
“I left Benfica because Vilarinho told the team he was going to put an end to hockey”
Filipe Gaidão never hid his Benfiquismo. When he received the invitation from his favorite club, he didn’t hesitate.
“At the time I still took Vale and Azevedo as president. He left after three months. Benfica was going through a complicated phase, but it was my club and another dimension. When Benfica’s interest appeared, everything changed. It was always what I wanted.”
Shortly after his arrival, won the elections and assumed the presidency. “I joined the club in a very turbulent phase, with financial difficulties, but I was at Benfica and that was the most important thing. Even with these problems, I could feel the greatness of the club every day.”
Economic problems led management to consider a radical measure. “He went to the team and told the players they were allowed to look for a club because roller hockey was going to go away.”
The decision ended up not moving forward. “In a controversial general meeting, the members didn’t allow him. He even had to leave with an escort. But at that point the season was already over and I and many colleagues were already committed to other clubs. By my will, I would never have left Benfica.”
“I had a serious accident before going to Porto, I was quadriplegic for some time, and Pinto da Costa never stopped supporting me”
Filipe Gaidão was on vacation, after signing for FC Porto and before heading to the World Cup with the team, when he suffered a serious accident.
“I was swimming in my father-in-law’s pool, I hit my head on the side and completely blacked out. It was my father-in-law who pulled me out of the water and saved my life.”
Following the accident, he became quadriplegic. “The doctors told me that I wouldn’t walk again. Even so, Porto didn’t let the contract fall. He assured that he would make all means available for my recovery.”
The recovery ended up happening. “Fortunately, with time, I managed to recover and still played for Porto. I’m a Benfica fan, people at Porto knew that, but I will always be grateful to the club for everything they did for me at that stage.”
