In part one, we discuss the positives and negatives of Portugal’s World Cup campaign. Where can Portugal go now after a fairly lacklustre tournament?

In part two, we look at João Moutinho’s shock transfer from Sporting to FC Porto and try to find words to describe Benfica’s payment of €8.5 million for Atletico Madrid’s third choice goalkeeper.

Thanks for all your comments and kind words over these <sniffle> two and a half years, but please do keep in touch on the website, which we’ll continue to monitor.

Thanks VERY much for listening. If you’ve enjoyed it half as much as we have … then we’ve enjoyed it twice as much as you. 

Cheers!

Steve and Phil

In part two we concentrate on the movements of coaches between clubs in the top flight of Portuguese football. The highest-profile move is that of 32-year-old André Villas Boas from Académica to FC Porto. We’ll give our opinion on his and Porto’s chances, and the chances of the other teams in the league.

Do let us know your views on these subjects.

And thanks for listening.

Steve & Phil

Porto managed to beat Chaves in the Taça final 2-1, it was a poor performance and a rather disappointing way to say goodbye to Bruno Alves, who had a dreadful day on and off the pitch in what will probably be his last game for the club. Chaves did themselves proud and looked anything but a team who’d just been relegated to the third tier of Portuguese football.

In part two we give the results of our listeners’ player of the season whilst also presenting our favourite players and matches of the year. We also talk a little bit about Portugal’s terrible training kit.

Let us know what you think of our players of the season and for keep those comments coming until the next podcast, which should be sometime at the beginning of June.

Thanks for listening,

Steve and Phil

In part two, we cover the other games of the weekend, including Marítimo’s smash and grab raid to Guimarães, beating them 1-2 to claim the final European qualifying place against all expectations. We also congratulate Beira Mar and Portimonense, who will be playing in the top flight next season after winning promotion from the Liga Vitalis.

In part three we discuss the surprises in Carlos Queiroz’s Portuguese squad, which only includes one Benfica player and no João Moutinho.

Finally, we ask all listeners to send in your votes for the footballportugal podcast player of the season award. Please send your top 5 players of the season, ordered from 1 to 5, to our e-mail (info@footballportugalpodcast.com). Votes need to arrive before 4pm on Monday 17th May.

Thanks for listening,

Steve and Phil

In part two we concentrate on the second tier, with the Liga Vitalis really coming to a very exciting head; any one of five teams can be promoted next weekend. As well as the Vitalis round up, we mention the rumours currently in the press regarding managerial switches and players possibly moving clubs.

Please keep the comments coming. We’ll be back next Monday, the Pope’s visit permitting.

Thanks for listening.

Steve and Phil

In part two, we discuss Jesualdo Ferreira’s future at Porto, as his depleted side brush aside Setúbal 2-5. Sporting have appointed Paulo Sérgio, from Guimarães, to be their next manager, starting at the end of the season. In the meantime, Sporting can only draw 1-1 away to Leiria.

In part 3 we concentrate on the battle against relegation, fill you in with the Liga Vitalis latest and also compare the Panini World Cup Sticker Album’s Portugal squad with the one we actually think will go.

We hope you enjoy the podcast. Do please keep your comments coming.

Thanks for listening,

Steve and Phil

In part one, we focus on the top. Benfica need just 4 points from 3 games to clinch the title, but they didn’t look great this weekend against Académica. Braga put in a good display against Leixões to maintain their excellent record this season and should finish with a points tally which would have given them the title in either of the two preceding championships. Porto rumble on but face loud booing from the 28,000 who turned up to see their 3-0 win against Guimarães.  Finally, Sporting frustrate us – this time it’s new Director of Football, Costinha, exerting his poorly judged dominance over a team that could probably do better without him.

In part two we focus on the relegation battle. Belenenses are as good as relegated, but Leixões, Olhanense, Setúbal and Académica all have a fight on their hands to stay in the top tier of Portuguese football.

Please keep your comments coming. Let us know who you think will win the league and who will be relegated.

Thanks for listening,

Steve and Phil

In the first part we discuss the sell-out at the Estádio da Luz last weekend between Benfica and Braga. In a nervy game which failed to reflect the strengths of either side, Benfica scraped a 1-0 victory to go six points clear at the top of the table. Elsewhere, Izmailov writes his letter of apology to Costinha but isn’t allowed to play in Sporting’s 3-2 away defeat at the hands of Marítimo, “super” Simana Pongolle scoring an own goal with practically his first touch of the ball.

In part two we discuss the Football Federation’s decision to  reduce the bans imposed by the Liga on Hulk and Sapunaru to three and four games, respectively. FC Porto will now seek compensation for the loss of the players over the three-month period they were prevented from playing. We also have a round-up of the rest of the weekend’s action.

We’ll be back next week with more football talk from Portugal. Please keep your comments coming, and thanks for listening.

Steve and Phil

Sadly, the Final of the Carlsberg Cup itself was a big let-down both on and off the pitch, with running battles between Porto supporters and police before the match, disturbances inside the ground, and Bruno Alves deciding a career in professional wrestling might have more legs in it than football currently does. We talk about all this and more in the first part of the podcast.

In part 2 we focus on a mixed couple of weeks of European action. A terrible performance from Porto saw them crash out of the Champions League at Arsenal. Sporting put up a good fight against Atlético Madrid, but indiscipline in the first game was perhaps the main cause of their losing on away goals over two legs. Benfica, on the other hand, never cease to amaze lately, and their fantastic last minute victory over Marseille in the Europa League has brought the international glory days back to the Luz once again.

Thanks for all the comments over the last couple of weeks, and please keep them coming. We’ll be back next week, reporting on the all-important Liga game between Benfica and Braga this weekend at the Luz.

Thanks for listening,

Steve & Phil

Steve & Phil