Football Season Guide

For the fourth consecutive season, Moreirense managed to avoid relegation, and once again as a fruit of struggle more than anything else. In a way, 2017-18 was a repetition of the previous season: the same 15th place, the same three coaches per season and the same “saviour” in the end: Petit. The former Portuguese international was again brought to Moreirense in the final third of the season to save them from an ugly situation. And once again he delivered. This time, it will be the former Estoril manager Ivo Vieira to start the season, and the fans will be very happy if Petit doesn’t need to step in once again, as it will be a sign that Vieira has been more successful than all his predecessors. Ivo Vieira is admittedly a fan of an uncompromised attacking football, but will most certainly need to make some adjustements at Moreirense, since the squad doesn’t have the technical quality that Estoril had last season. Ivo Vieira might will have a difficult task, as the squad seems weakened when compared to the already struggling side of last season. Defenders Sagna and Belkraoui, midfielders Bruno Ramires, Rafael Costa and Fofana, as well as attackers Edno, Cadiz and Peña are all gone, but most decisively the two most interesting units of the previous season are also gone: playmaker Tozé rejoined his parent club Guimarães while promising Alfa Semedo joined the big club Benfica. Experienced full-back João Aurélio and Uruguayan striker David Teixeira arrived from Guimarães; Loum and Anthony D’Alberto arrived from the other Minho team, Braga. Sporting and Benfica also loaned a player each: defender Ivanildo and forward Heriberto respectively. With the exception of João Aurélio, these are all names yet to prove anything in Portuguese league, so a big question mark is flashing over this Moreirense squad. The best part of the market for Moreirense was the exciting trio that might be formed in the midfield. Fábio Pacheco arrives from Marítimo, after some rough times over there; Chiquinho didn’t convince Rui Vitória in Benfica and is joining Moreirense to prove the talent he shown on second division, last season. Pedro Nuno will test his playmaking ability at Moreira de Cónegos after he doing it at Tondela.