Another Liga NOS season in the bag also means the closure of the PortuGOAL Figure of the Week feature for another campaign.

For the duration of the 2019/20 campaign the vast majority of clubs were represented across the season, as is the intention, only Boavista failing to get a piece on their player/manager.

Some interesting patterns emerged on reflection of the year as a whole, such as Famalicão and Benfica being heavily featured in the first weeks of the season before drying up later on, as the teams’ respective form followed suit.

Perhaps aptly league champions Porto were represented the most with four articles, although conversely despite struggling throughout the season on and off the pitch Belenenses found themselves represented on three occasions due to fine individual displays.

Links to all the pieces are available below, as is the option to read about represented figures from both 2017/18 and 2018/19.

Enjoy, and see you in September.

• Primeira Liga,
• Sporting de Braga,
• Vitória de Guimarães,
• Rio Ave
• Carlos Carvalhal
• Tiago Mendes

Sporting de Braga and Vitória de Guimarães have readied plans for the 2020/21 season following the prompt appointments of new managers, with the Arsenalistas calling on Carlos Carvalhal for the top job prior to ex-Portugal international Tiago Mendes taking over at their local rivals.

After success with Rio Ave, qualifying for the Europa League with a fifth-placed finish, Carvalhal makes the short journey north to pen a two-year-deal with his former club Braga, meanwhile Tiago, also tied to Vitória until 2022, takes his first steps in the managerial world.

• Primeira Liga,
• Desportivo das Aves,
• Vitoria de Setubal
• LigaPro
• Campeonato de Portugal

Vitória de Setúbal and Desportivo das Aves have been forcefully relegated down to the Campeonato de Portugal, the third tier of Portuguese football, after failing to present the necessary requirements for professional registration ahead of the 2020/21 season.

The decision, imposed by Liga Portugal’s Supervisory Board, forbids both sides from competing at a professional level, hence the drop to the third division, although Vitória and Aves can still appeal the decision.

Liga NOS 2019/20 finally drew to a close on another dramatic weekend. The league title may have already been settled but there was plenty left to dispute albeit the huge headline fixtures did not carry the weight that fans hoped they would.

Still, the combination of the Lisbon derby between Benfica and Sporting as well as Porto taking on Braga brought about some drama, the latter sneaking into 3rd place at the expense of Lions following 2-1 scores in favour and against the top 3 hopefuls.

Rio Ave grabbed the last remaining Europa League place courtesy of the latest of equalisers by Marítimo against Famalicão. Down at the bottom there was one relegation slot to be filled and it was ultimately done so by Portimonense, whose defeat of already-downed Aves proved insufficient.

In classic fashion it was Tondela who avoided the drop and this time PortuGOAL Figure of the Week Natxo González was the man leading the charge and writing his name into the club’s modern history as the latest “great escape coach” on what is an ever-expanding list.