[2][3] He was involved in the Portuguese football corruption scandal Apito Dourado,[4] from which he was eventually absolved in April 2009[1][5] after receiving a two-year suspension and a €10,000 fine in May 2008.

He began collaborating with Porto, while keeping his day job; in 1953, on his 16th birthday, his maternal grandmother registered him as a club associate and he was a frequent attender of the team's football and roller hockey games, eventually going on to work in directorial capacities in the latter department, in his early 20s.

Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa's career at Porto started when he was just 20 years old, after accepting the club's invitation to join the rink hockey administrative commission.

[10] In 1976, Porto's most popular department, association football, was facing the longest title drought in the club's history, having not won the Primeira Liga for 19 years.

This period coincided with the rise of neighbors Boavista, who under the guidance of Pinto da Costa's friend and Porto's former player and coach, José Maria Pedroto, would win later that season the Taça de Portugal.

In May 1976, chairman Américo de Sá was re-elected and Pinto da Costa returned to the club as director of football, alongside Pedroto as a coach.

[11] It was under Pinto da Costa's and José Maria Pedroto's guidance that, in 1976–77, Porto won the Taça de Portugal, their first silverware in 18 years.

Algerian Rabah Madjer scored with his heel to draw the match, and Juary later sealed the 2–1 win that ensured Porto the biggest feat of its near centenary history.

Porto later achieved second place in the championship, but won the 2000 and 2001 Portuguese Cups (whilst reaching the European quarter-finals in both seasons), only to replace Fernando Santos with Octávio Machado.

However, Adriaanse still guided Porto to a domestic double, wrapping up the title with two games to spare, and beating Vitória de Setúbal in the Cup final.

[14] Pinto da Costa was one of the people investigated by the police as part of the Apito Dourado (Golden Whistle) sports corruption scandal in Portuguese football.

[17] Following the inquiry, Pinto da Costa vowed to appeal the two-year ban placed on him by the LPFP's Discipline Committee in order to clear both his and the club's names.

"[18] In early April 2009, Pinto da Costa was declared innocent in all allegations relating to bribery or any case dealing with Apito Dourado.

[5][19] Later, on 21 January 2010, the Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manhã revealed that many of the wiretapped phone calls in the Apito Dourado scandal were made public on YouTube.

[20] In May 2011, the decision made by the LPFP's Discipline Committee that initially punished Porto (six points were deducted) and Pinto da Costa (suspended for two years) was declared void and was thus annulled by the Administrative Court of Lisbon.