Deco, a legend of Portuguese football with an illustrious career at clubs like FC Porto, FC Barcelona, and Chelsea, opened up about one of the most difficult moments of his life—retiring from professional football. Speaking at the Thinking Football Summit on the TFS Stage, Deco shared the emotional aftermath of hanging up his boots. "I remember the day I stopped playing perfectly. I was in Rio, took a plane to Portugal, and I think I cried for four or five days. On the fifth day, I got up and asked: What’s next?"

The panel, moderated by Pedro Pinto, explored Deco's transition from being a footballer to his current role as FC Barcelona’s Sporting Director. Deco acknowledged that the transition is never easy or fast, describing it as a process. "I never wanted to be a coach," he revealed, adding that his path toward management developed naturally, influenced by figures like Joan Laporta, the current President of FC Barcelona, and Pinto da Costa, former President of FC Porto.

Deco stressed that there's "no recipe" for a player’s post-career journey, highlighting the importance of a "mindset change." He explained that the experience of being a player can help but doesn't guarantee success in other areas. "Humility" was a key theme in his discussion, emphasizing that learning and understanding new roles is crucial for growth.

After retiring, Deco joined Gestifute, the agency of his former agent Jorge Mendes, but later left to start his own company. "When I decided to leave Gestifute, I didn’t have any players," he explained, underscoring the challenges of starting from scratch and the importance of perseverance. He began his new venture by approaching smaller clubs like Vitória de Guimarães and Rio Ave, rather than leveraging his connections at FC Porto or Barcelona.

Deco’s shift from being an agent to a Sporting Director came after a conversation with Laporta. Initially, he suggested Luís Campos for the role of restructuring FC Barcelona, but when that didn’t materialize, Deco himself took on the position in the 2023/24 season.

Reflecting on his journey, Deco said, "If I hadn’t lived through what I did, I wouldn’t have been prepared. I built a company from scratch, debated with many football directors, and every time I was with one, I paid attention, tried to understand." He emphasized that his accumulated experiences allowed him to step into his current role at Barcelona, a club that remains close to his heart alongside FC Porto.

Now, as Sporting Director, Deco is determined to help restore Barcelona to its former glory—a period he experienced firsthand as a player. Though the process is challenging, Deco expressed confidence that, in the end, everything will turn out well.