A surprise addition to the presentation, Luuk de Jong emerged from the tunnel to everyone’s surprise and experienced “an incredible moment” that he never thought possible. “I never thought the transfer could be so quiet, but we managed it. We really tried to keep it very low-key, we managed to surprise the fans and I think it was very good. I was very excited to take to the pitch and with the fans cheering, it was spectacular”, he confided in Porto Canal's Post-Match before saying he was “very happy” to wear the number 26 shirt of “a great club” and experience an “unforgettable moment”: “I had no idea how big the stadium was and what an atmosphere the fans created”.

Total surprise
“It was incredible. I never thought it could be such a quiet transfer, but we managed it. We really tried to keep it very quiet, we managed to surprise the fans and I think it was very good. I was so excited to get on the pitch and the fans cheering... it was incredible.”

The conversation with Francesco Farioli
“It was very important to meet Francesco Farioli. I had a great conversation with him before all this happened. I already knew him from the Netherlands, from Ajax, and I heard a lot of good things about him and the work he does to help us achieve something together. It's inspiring.”

Prior knowledge about FC Porto
“It’s a great club. I’ve never played against FC Porto, but I’ve always seen the club reach very high levels in Europe. They won the Champions League in 2004 and I was watching when I was 14. For this season, with the way Farioli works, we’re going to give everything to get as far as possible. I don't know where we'll end up, but we'll give it our all.”

The squad for 2025/26
“They tried to bring in new players to create a mix in the team, young players with great talent who develop and become great players. We need this good mix with experience to go even further.”

The fans
“While we were negotiating with FC Porto, I was already looking into a few things and quickly fell in love. Even so, I had no idea how big the stadium was and what an atmosphere the fans created. It was a moment I will never forget.”