The Portuguese top football league Liga Portugal is gearing up to begin its next season soon.
To get ready for the upcoming campaign, let’s take a look back at the 5 clubs that finished highest in the standings last season. Recapping their previous performances will help provide context ahead of the new season kickoff. With the table now reset for Liga Portugal’s upcoming matches, the quest for every team to climb the ranks begins again.
- Benfica, 87 points
- FC Porto, 85 points
- SC Braga, 78 points
- Sporting CP, 74 points
- Arouca, 54 points
In the previous season, 3 teams were demoted from the top division: Pacos Ferreira, Santa Clara and Maritimo. However, let’s examine which teams earned promotion to replace them.
- Moreirense, #1 last season in Liga Portugal 2, with final 79 points, 77 goals in 34 games.
- Farense, #2, with final 69 points, 57 goals in 34 games.
- Estrela Amadora, #3, with final 63 points, 55 goals in 34 games (promotion through play-offs).
Transfers
In the lead up to the new season, nearly all the teams have made quality additions to their rosters through new player signings. As of now, Paris Saint Germain has spent the most out of any team to acquire new talent.
Let’s examine the top 3 teams that have spent the most money on player transfers so far in preparation for the upcoming season:
- Benfica – €58m
- Braga – €9,6m
- FC Porto – €7,9m
Here is top 5 most expensive transfers this summer in Liga Portugal by the date:
- Orkun Kökcü – to Benfica from Feyenoord (Netherland) – €25m
- Arthur Cabral – to Benfica from Fiorentina (Italy) – €20m
- Viktor Gyökeres – to Sporting CP from Coventry (England) – €20m
- David Jurásek – to Benfica from Slavia Prague (Czech) – €14
- Anatoliy Trubin – to Benfica from Shakhtar (Ukraine) – €10m
A few key things stand out of this list:
- Benfica has been the biggest spender, shelling out large transfer fees to bolster their squad. Signings like Kökcü, Cabral, Jurásek, and Trubin show their ambition to reclaim the league title.
- Sporting CP has also invested heavily, paying €20m to acquire striker Gyökeres. This demonstrates their intent to challenge Benfica for the top spot.
- Portuguese clubs are willing to pay substantial amounts to bring in talent not just within the league but from abroad as well. Deals like Kökcü from the Eredivisie and Cabral from Serie A show their expanding scouting reach.
- The fees spent indicate Liga Portugal has grown financially if clubs can afford eight-figure transfers. Competition for the league crown and Champions League spots should be fierce.
Overall, it’s clear Portuguese teams are asserting themselves in the transfer market. How these new high-priced additions blend with their new clubs will likely shape the title race this upcoming season.
Transfer market will close in the end of the month, so maybe we’ll see more updates.
All teams
Presented below is the full list of clubs that will be participating in the Portuguese Liga football competition for the upcoming season. This provides an overview of all the teams that will be vying for the Liga title and European qualifying positions over the course of the season.
- SL Benfica
- Boavista FC
- Casa Pia AC
- Estrela Amadora
- FC Famalicão
- SC Farense
- FC Arouca
- FC Vizela
- GD Chaves
- GD Estoril Praia
- Gil Vicente FC
- Moreirense FC
- Portimonense SC
- FC Porto
- Rio Ave FC
- Braga
- Sporting CP
- Vitória Guimarães SC
