José Condessa and Carlos Felício were watching a Nisa Futsal Clube game when the Portuguese actor jokingly teased his colleague: “We still played for that team.” Carlos, who was a fan, player and is now president of the club, replied seriously: “Not me, but you do.” It was the kickoff in the ‘Rabo de Peixe’ star’s sporting career.
“He initially said no, that he had another life, which would be difficult to reconcile. But in January 2023 he was introduced and is with us to this day”, says Carlos Garcia Felício, who recalls, in statements to SIC Notícias, the conversation he had with José Condessa in the stands of the Nisa Municipal Pavilion.
If in the Portuguese Netflix series, Rodrigo de Tomás (Rafael) plays the football player, in real life it is the actor who plays Eduardo shining with the ball at his feet. “Zé”, as he is called by his colleagues, is part of the group that revived Nisa Futsal Clube, a club founded in 2001, which experienced financial difficulties during the pandemic.
In 2022, Nisa FC had accumulated debts to pay. The worst scenario was imagined. “The club was at risk of not playing next season”, recalls Carlos, who joined the new management team as sporting director who took on the project. “There was a collective effort and Zé helped like everyone else. We had the support of local companies, we held events, we organized tournaments”, says the director.
“I’m crazy about footballHey, I’m crazy about those people”
The accounts were balanced and Nisa Futebol Clube continued on the courts, with the reinforcement of José Condessa. The actor, between recordings and other commitments, up to 400 kilometers per week to go to training.
“I’m crazy, I’ve gone as far as not coming to my house: leaving the recordings, going straight to a game on Saturday, playing and leaving. I like it, I’m crazy about football, I’m crazy about those people”, said José Condessa to the videocast by Pedro Teixeira da Mota.
Countess, sometimes an actor, sometimes an anchor, takes pleasure in the efforts to move between the two careers: “We formed the club with a group of people who are local and have a group there. That gives me a lot of fun, it puts my feet on the ground. I’m Zé there.“
In recent years, Nisa FC, which competes in the first district division, reached three ‘final fours’ of the district cup. They were eliminated consecutively on penalties. “It’s a bit ungrateful, but it’s part of it”, says the president.
“He feels like a Nisa person”
Carlos, who has known him for more than 10 years, guarantees that “Zé” does not play because he is famous, although he admits that public interest grows with his presence. “He is an excellent person and an excellent player”, says the club president, who was born in Tolosa, a parish in the municipality of Nisa.
“It’s a great pride to be president of Nisa FC”, says Carlos Garcia Felício
Nuno Marta de Sousa
José Condessa was not born in Nisa, but he has a special connection with the region. It’s your grandparents’ land. He spent many summer holidays and weekends there, before becoming a futsal player. “He feels like a person from here”, sums up Carlos.
