Portuguese Football in English
Portugal international Gelson Martins says he has no desire to return to Atletico Madrid next season, as his future remains unsure following a six-month loan spell in France with Monaco.
Rui Almeida will be staying in French football, having swapped Troyes for the managerial position at recently relegated Caen, while Leicester City’s Ricardo Pereira is reportedly attracting the interest of Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.
With well over 200 foreign-based Portuguese footballers plying their trade across the globe, PortuGOAL selects a starting line-up of the 11 players who have made the most crucial contributions to their side during the 2018/19 season.
Football is a squad game however, and therefore it is also important to give recognition to those that narrowly missed out on a place in the chosen eleven, and some of the lesser-known exports thriving far and wide carrying the Portuguese flag.
Shakhtar Donetsk’s Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca has seen his name in the headlines in Ukraine and Italy this week as a potential move to Roma has dominated the local agendas. Fonseca has responded to the speculation by hinting he is ready to move clubs, while latest reports indicate Shakhtar will allow their manager to leave for free as a gesture of good will.
Meanwhile, transfer season is gathering pace and Bruno Varela, Nélson Semedo, João Cancelo and André Gomes feature in the latest rounds of speculation. Sporting graduate Guima has already sealed his future with a move to Polish club LKS Lodz, while French club Lille have rewarded midfielder Xeka with a new contract.
Former Braga, Benfica and Sporting boss Jorge Jesus has been confirmed as the impending new coach of Brazilian giants Flamengo on a one-year contract. The 64-year-old will begin work in Rio de Janeiro later this month and becomes the second Portuguese manager in Flamengo’s history.
Jesus has been out of work since leaving Saudi Arabian club Ah-Hilal in January, but his new venture was announced by Flamengo president Rodolfo Landim after the pair met in Madrid to finalise terms on the appointment.
José Mourinho says he has not needed a recovery period following his departure from Manchester United, while tipping Portugal to win the upcoming UEFA Nations League.
Meanwhile, during a week dominated by Portuguese coaches taking new adventures, Paulo Fonseca is reportedly in negotiations with Italian giants Roma. Luís Castro joined the growing contingent of bosses abroad this week by signing a deal with Greek outfit Panetolikos, while on the transfers front Mário Rui’s agent has confirmed his client is set to leave Napoli.
