SPORTS NEWS
Brought to you by Chris Wright
PORTIMONENSE REPRIEVE V.Setúbal were celebrating avoiding relegation on the final day of the season with a 2-0 home win over Belenenses whilst Portimonense were in the doldrums having dropped into the Segunda Liga alongside CD Aves. Joy turned to despair for V.Setúbal as the Liga’s Supervisory Board turfed them out of the professional league set-up for failing to present the necessary registration documents, both financially and legally, ahead of the coming season. CD Aves and V.Setúbal will now compete in the third tier of Portuguese football which means that SC Portimonense will retain their place in the Primeira Liga. The league has agreed to have a two-leg end-of-season play-off between the thirdfrom-bottom club in the Primeira Liga and the third team in the Segunda Liga. In addition five substitutes, as used in the post pandemic league era, will become the norm thus giving the wealthier clubs with larger squads another helping hand. PORTUGAL TAKE ON SPAIN & ANDORRA In addition to their League of Nations games, Portugal have arranged to play Spain (7th October) and Andorra (11th November) in Lisbon. League of Nations ties: Croatia at Estádio do Dragão in Porto on the 5th September and three days later against Sweden in Solna, Stockholm. Matches against Spain are always eagerly anticipated with the Iberian rivalry being one of the oldest at a national level. It began on 18th December 1921, when Portugal lost 3–1 to Spain in Madrid in their first ever international and it was not until 1926 that Portugal managed a draw (2-2). Portugal’s first win came much later (4–1) in 1947. The two countries have met thirty-six times (of which nine matches were competitive) resulting in eighteen victories for Spain, twelve draws and six victories for Portugal.
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FARENSE PREPARE FOR TOP FLIGHT FOOTBALL It is nearly twenty years since Farense last graced the Primeira Liga and following their relegation in 2002 the club went through calamitous times. Within five years the club had reached rock bottom, dropping to the sixth tier and local regional football. Last season under manager Sérgio Vieira they were in a promotion position when all football came to a halt. Latest additions to their squad include 23 year-old winger Brian Mansilla on loan from Racing Club (Argentina) and Rafael Defendi, an experienced 36-yearold Brazilian goalkeeper who joins from Famalicão. Former Dundee United and Scottish youth international Ryan Gauld scored the only goal of the game as Farense beat Covilhã 1-o in a pre-season friendly at the Algarve Stadium. NO SPECTATORS AT PORTUGAL MASTERS In line with the European Tour’s comprehensive Covid-19 Health Strategy and following the practice of playing behind closed doors since the re-start of the 2020 Race to Dubai, the Tour has confirmed that no general spectators will be permitted at the Portugal Masters at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, Vilamoura, on the 10th to 13th September or the Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos 17th to 20th September. GRAND PRIX SET TO TAKE OFF The Algarve International Circuit is to be resurfaced ahead of October’s Formula 1 Portuguese Grand Prix. Autodromo Internacional do Algarve was used for F1 testing in the winter of 2008-09, and the teams have not returned since. Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola says the Algarve track would be tough on tyres even without the new surface generating extra grip. “Portimão is the highest severity circuit of the
September 2020
