There is still a chance of Portimonense being reinstated by the end of this month
Following last week’s dramatic news of the hasty departure of Portimonense manager Paulo Sérgio after suffering play-off defeat by AVS SAD and subsequent relegation to the second division, the board has acted quickly and appointed Sérgio Vieira as successor.
The 41-year-old is no stranger to the Algarve having gained promotion with Farense four years ago and most recently took Estrela da Amadora into the top tier before parting company at the end of last season having assured that club’s survival.
On the pitch, 25-year-old Nigerian ex-Oliveirense centre-back Kelechi John has become the new manager’s first signing and should be followed by ex-Estoril midfielder Pavlic shortly.
Meanwhile, Portimonense’s burgeoning squad boosted by the return of loanees Bryan Rochez, Ricardo Matos, Felipe Dini, Klismahn, Rui Gomes and Casagrande could be cut down to a more manageable size by the possible departure of Nakamura, Filipe Relvas, Carlinhos, Hélio Varela, Jasper and Ronie Carrillo, who all have admirers elsewhere. In addition, on loan Fukui will probably return to Bayern Munich whilst Dener, Luan and Davis have come to the end of their contracts.
There is still a chance of Portimonense being reinstated by the end of this month, as happened on two previous occasions in 2004 and 2020 when Salgueiros and Vitória Setúbal respectively failed to meet their financial obligations, should Boavista or another side be demoted over unpaid debts.
Elsewhere, Farense, who are retaining the services of manager José Mota, have expressed strong interest in signing 21-year-old Brazilian Olympic games goalkeeper Kaique as a possible replacement for Ricardo Velho who is wanted by Watford, Seville and Dortmund. Another of last season’s outstanding players, Algerian international Belloumi, is also expected to leave amongst strong interest from French, English and German clubs as well as Benfica closer to home.
Definitely gone are midfielders Fabrício Isidoro and Mattheus Oliveira who could be joined by out-of-contract Vítor Gonçalves, leaving the club in search for replacements in the team’s engine room.
By SKIP BANDELE
