Portuguese football thread

Marco Silva (Estoril) is the new Sporting manager. He joins the lisbon club after two impressive seasons in a smaller side. Let's see if he can make it there. Paulo Fonseca did an awful job in Porto after one of the best seasons a manager ever had in a small portuguese team.

Jorge Jesus confirmed he'll stay in Benfica. After some rumours in the media regarding his future, he gave an interview to BenficaTV yesterday:
- Refused to join Valência, 'cause he feels like it would be a step back as "Benfica is a top club";
- Rejected an offer from Milan, saying that the money was good (more than the 4M€/y he recieves currently) but it isn't all about the money.

Also said that Pablo Aimar was by far the best player he ever managed and has the dream of winning the Champions League in charge of Benfica.

 

That is great news about Jorge Jesus!

I was thinking he would have more than a few offers, wonder how long he will stay ?

 

The Portuguese paper A Bola is reporting that Real and Atletico are looking at the Benfica goalkeeper Jan Oblak as a possible target. Apparently he's got a release clause of 20 million euros.

 

We'll need a new squad. The usual stuff. I do believe Jan Oblak will stay anyway. One more year. He'll be one of the best in the world, no doubt about it.

Players leaving:
Siqueira, loan expired and signed for Atlético (official)
André Gomes, 15M€, Valência (official)
Rodrigo, 30M€ + 10M€ in clauses, Valência (official)

Players possibly leaving:
Garay, 15-20M€, Zenit/Bayern (contract expires in 2015)
Enzo Perez, 20-25M€, Valência
Cardozo, 8-14M€, ?

Peter Lim bought Valência and now Jorge Mendes has a new gold mine. Nuno Espírito Santo, Rio Ave manager, is the new Valência manager. They seem interested in buying all our team tbh, plus Jackson Martínez (Porto).

 

Those are some crazy sums. At least you'll have a nice budget to work with if you're losing most players from the first squad.

What's Benfica's budget anyway? You got 30+ millions for Matić if I remember correctly, now here's another 30 million transfer plus a couple of other 10+ million deals. You could by a small country with the money you're receiving. :icon_mrgreen:

As far as Oblak is concerned, I think he should stay with Benfica as well, for a year, as you said. But it would be crazy if the deal went through, then our national team would have two goalkeepers who together would be worth around 50 million euros. It's a shame you're only allowed to play with one keeper. :icon_mrgreen:

 

Matic was sold for 25M€. "Clean" and paid right there. Many of the 30 and 40M€ deals portuguese clubs make are pre-agent fees and take 3 or 4 years to be fully paid, so in that sense it was a good deal. Jorge Mendes gains a lot of money in many of Porto and Benfica transfers.

Our annual budget is around 80M€. Not that much in the european scenario, surely the lowest in the UEFA Ranking top10, but quite a bit for a portuguese club. Our revenue, excluding transfers, isn't that big. It's huge comparing to Porto and Sporting, as Benfica fans represent a much larger fanbase, but once more we surely have a much lower revenue than the other UEFA Ranking top 10 clubs, for example. We aren't selling shirts in Asia, we don't get 40M€ just for playing the Premier League, etc. The problem of being part of a smaller market, just like Celtic or Ajax. Our annual budget is based on a casino strategy, per se: invest big, take risks, sell even higher and keep the ball rolling. So far so good, but it's risky. However there's no other way for a portuguese team to be constantly in european finals and having quality players. Ramires, Witsel, Di Maria, Nico Gaitan, Enzo Perez, Garay, Pablo Aimar, Matic, Rodrigo, Markovic, Salvio etc, all of them cost money. Of course many times the risk is divided, and that's were the funds enter. Benfica pay for 50% and a third party invests in the other 50% looking for a profit. This happened with Ramires, Markovic...

Portugal could use one of those keepers, as It was clear today. Not many NT's have that much quality in the goal. I believe at the moment the only young keeper comparable to Oblak is Courtois, so it will be interesting to see if he can take Handanovic spot. Maybe a transfer to Madrid or Barcelona would help him in that sense, and I now the moment will come. Especially with Casillas being crappy everytime he plays. I would love to see Oblak in Benfica for 20 years more but it doesn't happen any more. Only underrated players stay that long in Portugal, Luisão being a clear example. I just hope he doesn't rush into Spain, Robert Enke did the same and I believe he ended up regretting the decision. Probably the last quality young keeper Benfica had although inferior when compared to Oblak.

Btw, Preud'Homme said Oblak is a "quality kid" with the potential to be a great keeper. "Cold and calm", that's how Saint Michel described him.

http://www.maisfutebol.iol.pt/entre...e-benfica-oblak/53692f840cf2a3b6e5a8f26c.html

Great compliment, coming from one of the best keepers ever and a Benfica idol.

 

Thanks for the detailed info.

And I don't think Oblak is at this point at the same level as Courtois, but then again you've seen him play more games than I did. I think he needs another full season, preferably with Benfica, to show just how good he can be and gain more first-team experience in the highest level, playing regularly in the league as well as in Europe. Only then will we be able to compare him with keepers like Courtois. But it's looking * for him, no doubt about it.

What we will do in the NT, I have no idea. Handanović is still only 29 so he's getting into his best goalkeeping years. But Oblak looks like a patient guy, he'll get his turn.

 

2013/14 portuguese league awards

Manager of the season - Jorge Jesus (Benfica)
Player of the season - Enzo Pérez (Benfica)
Goalkeeper of the season - Jan Oblak (Benfica)
Revelation of the season - William Carvalho (Sporting)

 

What you thinking about Talisca? I think you got an absolute steal with him but he should have kept his hair cut

 

@Luz: what did you think about this? Luka Zahović scoring against Sporting just like his old man used to. A real chip off the old block, ay?

 

Sorry folks, only seen this posts today.

Good player, no doubt. 4M€ and no funds involved. Portuguese league top scorer, 20y old, first season in Portugal... so far so good.







J. Jesus still hasn't decided his position. He's more suited to play as a "10", there is a constant comparing to Rivaldo here in Portugal, but he's being used both as a box to box and a second striker. I personally like to see him a bit far from the opposite box, with more space to run. Naturally he still isn't used to play in a big european team, so he sometimes struggles when there's a man marking him near the box.

Seems a humble kid, so he'll probably improve fast. One or two seasons and there he goes.

 

:smiley-laughing002:

Luka is an hardcore "benfiquista" so Benfica fans were happy for him. Played for our youth teams for several years, even after Zlatko left the senior squad.



"O Sporting sempre um passo atrás" = Sporting always one step behind.



He always seemed a talented footballer according to his coaches, I'm glad he reached a professional level.

How do you rate him?

 

Uma perguntinha Luz....


A wee question......people abroad often dis the wee.er teams in Portugal, but tbh from what I.ve seen, there.s. Not much difference between the lower half of the PRimeira divisao and the lower half of the Spanish league in terms of Skill. maybe a wee bit, but not an abyss. Am I just pro.portuguese (i.ve lived in Spain for years..!) or do you think your league is a top 5?

 

I've to say our league is crap tbh.:smiley-laughing002: Don't get me wrong, considering the money available there are 5 very interesting teams (especially Benfica and Porto) but we should have way less teams in the first division in order to achieve an higher standard.

On the other hand, portuguese league managers are top5. I believe so. Mourinho, Jorge Jesus, Villas-Boas, Nuno Espirito Santo, Leonardo Jardim, Marco Silva, etc, all of them managed lower class clubs before moving on to bigger things. Mourinho really inspired many others in Portugal, there's a school of managers that followed him after 2004. I would say portuguese clubs do quite a bit with not much, but our league is nowhere near the top.

 

Luz, whats your vedict on Ricardo Quaresma?

I see he is back at Porto now after playing in the middle east..

Why did it never happen for him at Inter, Chelsea, Barcelona? Bad attitiude?

He seemed like he had all the potential and all the skills...

 

Ricardo Quaresma is one of the many talented wingers Sporting had in their youth ranks in the last 20 years. There were 3 players above all rest, according to sources close to Sporting academy (former players, coaches, managers, etc): Quaresma, Cristiano Ronaldo and Fábio Paim. Cristiano Ronaldo is the example to follow, Fábio Paim (google him, there's a famous Cristiano Ronaldo quote about him) is the example not to follow and Quaresma is the middle term. Could have reached much more IMO. He became known for his "trivelas" and unusual tricks but he was very complete all-around: technique, close control, pass, shot, physical power... he had many qualities that you usually don't see in a 20y old.

Regarding the reasons why he failed at the big stage... I believe he lacked the mentality. Even at Porto he had several conflicts with the managers / board since he returned. Quaresma never quite understood that he's good but way below world class. Probably his work rate wasn't suited for a bigger team: there are some players that can be great in 2nd tier teams but aren't willing to run so that Ibra, Ronaldinho or Ronaldo take the light spot. He's more suited to the star role in a 2nd tier team. Hulk is another example of a player that I consider quite good but just don't see him making it in Real, Barcelona or Bayern.

Bonus:

 

Is that Falcao in the middle

 

Thanks for that mate. I really liked watching him, he had a lot of flair but he in no way reached anywhere near his potential. I think he could have been a superstar but he didnt have the attitude.
I think Hulk gave up ambition for money by going to Zenit. As did Axel Witsel.

My next question is why did Benfica let Oscar Cardozo leave? He has an excellent goal to game ratio... He seemed to be a fans favourite there also.

 

Cardozo is a club legend, there's no doubt about that. He was sold 'cause he's injured. Back injury.

You certainly remember that incident between him and Jorge Jesus. After the summer, he publicly apologized to the fans and started playing again. Had a ratio over 1 goal per game for those first games, including an hattrick in the Lisbon derby, but then he got injured. And never fully recovered, becoming really slow and even less agile. For example, in a cup game against Porto, with Benfica down to 10 men in the first half hour of the game, he said to Jorge Jesus that he lacked the condition to help the team in that situation and therefore should be subbed.





It was probably the best for everyone. Cardozo left with his status intact and 3 titles in 2014 while Benfica got 5M€. Cardozo earns 3M€/y in Turkey (3x more). He got the glorious last season his individual record deserved and can now enjoy a golden retirement.

 

A chubby look-alike maybe. Toñito.