Football Season Guide

Last season was a hugely successful one for Vitoria de Guimarães. A 4th place finish means they were the best team in the country besides the usual big 3. It also means that they won the particular race with arch-rivals Braga, who came in 5th. To add to all that, Guimarães reached the final of the Taça de Portugal, where they only lost to last season's absolute best team in the country, Benfica. The bar is now set pretty high and the fans aren't expecting anything less than a serious race for 4th place once again. There have been two major departures from last season's squad: right-winger Bruno Gaspar and the absolute star of last season,Marega, who is returning to FC Porto after a loan. On the right side of defence, the reliable and versatile João Aurélio should step in with minimal loss in quality. In the attack, however, it will be hard to replace such a unique player like Marega. Sebastian Rincon and Estupiñan are arriving from South American leagues but they remain question marks at this point. The biggest move on the market for Guimarães was the definitive purchase of Paolo Hurtado. The Peruvian was an essential part of Guimarães last season while playing on loan from English side Reading. Defensive rock, Pedrão, was also permanently signed as well as Colombian midfielder Guillermo Celis from Benfica. Coach, Pedro Martins, will continue at the helm of the team despite some rumours of bigger clubs wanting to sign with him after his successful season. Him remaining at Guimarães will maybe be the best news for the fans at this stage. He should keep his solid 4-2-3-1 where players like Sturgeon, Raphinha as well as the new signings Rincón and Estupiñan are expected to step in and make an impact this season. Meanwhile, the nucleus of players at the back and midfield should remain almost the same as last season, with the exception of aforementioned situation on the right side of defence.