António Dias da Cunha
Encyclopedia
António Augusto Serra Campos Dias da Cunha (Beira
, Mozambique, 1933) is a Portuguese
businessman and one of the Portuguese billionaires.
Established in Portugal
since age nine, he always remained connected to Mozambique
, where he posteriorly established many businesses and gave support to social institutions. A Licentiate
in Law
from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, he practiced various sports while a college student, alternating between football, handball
and basketball
. In rugby
he went to participate in the national championship of the 1st division.
He associated with the Sporting Clube de Portugal at invitation of Emídio Pinheiro, a former President of the General Assembly. Still before the Carnation Revolution
he became a friend of José Roquette and, later, went with him to the Direction of the SCP. In August 2000, he assumed the Presidency of the club and of the Patrimony Managing Society of Sporting as the 45th President, succeeding José Roquette, who had transformed the club into a Sport Anonymous Society. Under his presidency started at the end of 2001 the works of the new Estádio José Alvalade
and Sporting was national champion in soccer in the season 2001/2002. During his tenure he became notorious for his compaints of "the fault is the system's" often when the club suffered defeats that were not directly caused by its own. He resigned in 2005 in solidarity with manager José Peseiro
and was succeeded by Filipe Soares Franco
.
Although not affiliated with any political party, Dias da Cunha has appeared in many moments connected to the Socialist Party
, having publicly supported the presidential candidacies of Mário Soares
and Jorge Sampaio.
Beira, Mozambique
Beira is the second largest city in Mozambique. It lies in the central region of the country in Sofala Province, where the Pungue River meets the Indian Ocean. Beira had a population of 412,588 in 1997, which grew to an estimated 546,000 in 2006...
, Mozambique, 1933) is a Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
businessman and one of the Portuguese billionaires.
Established in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
since age nine, he always remained connected to Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, where he posteriorly established many businesses and gave support to social institutions. A Licentiate
Licentiate
Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...
in Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, he practiced various sports while a college student, alternating between football, handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. In rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
he went to participate in the national championship of the 1st division.
He associated with the Sporting Clube de Portugal at invitation of Emídio Pinheiro, a former President of the General Assembly. Still before the Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
he became a friend of José Roquette and, later, went with him to the Direction of the SCP. In August 2000, he assumed the Presidency of the club and of the Patrimony Managing Society of Sporting as the 45th President, succeeding José Roquette, who had transformed the club into a Sport Anonymous Society. Under his presidency started at the end of 2001 the works of the new Estádio José Alvalade
Estádio José Alvalade
Estádio José Alvalade is a football stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, home of Sporting Clube de Portugal, one of the country's biggest clubs. It is the center of a complex called Alvalade XXI , designed by Portuguese architect...
and Sporting was national champion in soccer in the season 2001/2002. During his tenure he became notorious for his compaints of "the fault is the system's" often when the club suffered defeats that were not directly caused by its own. He resigned in 2005 in solidarity with manager José Peseiro
José Peseiro
José Vítor dos Santos Peseiro is a football manager, who most notably served as an assistant for Carlos Queiroz during his Real Madrid tenure and as a manager for Sporting until his resignation in October 2005....
and was succeeded by Filipe Soares Franco
Filipe Soares Franco
Filipe Pinto Basto Soares Franco is a former and 46th President of Sporting Clube de Portugal, one of Portugal's biggest comprehensive sports clubs, second child and second son of Rui Guedes Soares Franco and Isabel Maria da Câmara Ferreira Pinto Basto , of English descent Filipe Pinto Basto...
.
Although not affiliated with any political party, Dias da Cunha has appeared in many moments connected to the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Portugal)
The Socialist Party , abbreviated to PS, is a social-democratic political party in Portugal. It was founded on 19 April 1973 in the German city of Bad Münstereifel, by militants from Portuguese Socialist Action ....
, having publicly supported the presidential candidacies of Mário Soares
Mário Soares
Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares, GColTE, GCC, GColL, KE , Portuguese politician, served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1976 to 1978 and from 1983 to 1985, and subsequently as the 17th President of Portugal from 1986 to 1996.-Family:...
and Jorge Sampaio.