On September 30, 2018, the historic CF “Os Belenenses” started its second life in the last district division of AF Lisboa, after cutting ties with SAD and thrashing Parque das Nações with striker Ricardo Viegas 4-0. the 32nd minute, signing the first and historically accurate shot (it would end with a hat-trick).
This Saturday, one of the two clubs that became champions by breaking the hegemony of the big three, is back in professional competitions, in the II Liga, after five successive increases (two of them by administrative means).
That day in 2018 thus became a “remarkable moment in the hundred-year history of Belenenses, the day when the associative masses, the management and the chairman decided not to stand idly by in the face of evil and reacted”, said chairman Patrick Morais de Carvalho. pointed out DN: “Now, looking back, it was five incredible years of sporting success, with five divisions being promoted, but at the same time we managed to warn the sporting country about what was going on”.
Belenenses is thus a success story that can serve as an example in sporting terms for other historic players lost in the lower divisions who dream of returning to the professional level, such as V. Setúbal, Beira Mar and Salgueiros, who contest the championship of Portugal, and Académica, in Liga 3.
In a league with many other clubs that have also distinguished themselves in Portuguese football – Marítimo at the head, but also Santa Clara and Paços de Ferreira (the other relegated), or Nacional and Tondela (with recent passages in the I Liga ), this in addition to another return, that of União de Leiria -, Belenenses will start the season with a trip to Vila das Aves, where a new SAD, AVS, was born, who took the license from Vilafranquense.
“It’s a bit ironic,” said the blues leader, highly critical of the legislation that makes this situation possible: “It’s a problem that needs to be eradicated. I was hopeful that the new SAD law could solve the matter, but unfortunately I don’t think it’s going to be that way because at the last minute there was an addition to the law that prevents these issues from being resolved. But above all and looking back there’s a sense of mission accomplished.
the lowest budget
On the goals for a competition that is expected to be close, and after pointing out that the club’s budget does not exceed 1.4 or at most 1.5 million euros – “certainly the lowest in this category” – argues Patrick Morais de Carvalho that this “will be a learning year”: “We intend to stabilize the club in the II League, without leaving aside the illusion and the dream of winning every game. I think we have a nice, have built a competitive team, the ability to put together good groups, that’s something that can’t be bought, we’ve got history, we’ve got the associative mass, which is incredible, and we’ve got the pressure that’s around the players and the president, which is very healthy for us. would rather be Belenenses, come from five climbs and have responsibilities than play for anyone.”
Club president for nine years, and after saying he wouldn’t run again, he eventually went back and was elected to Restelo for another three years. “It’s been a long time and a lot of fatigue has set in, but what matters now is looking ahead and being part of the professional championships is something that gives me an incentive and motivation to continue,” he assures, not in the last place because the return to the I Liga is, for all the above reasons, an objective to be achieved. When? “I don’t do futurology. What I know is that Belenenses doesn’t want to sell itself to anyone. In the II Liga there are only two SDUQ, us and Paços de Ferreira. Belenenses will have to be a little more patient, what can’t take away our ambition We will safely return to the I Liga, I don’t know when.”
Favorites until the opening whistle
Belenenses has already played two official matches in the League Cup this season. He won the first against Famalicão (3-2), but eventually took a beating in the trip to Estoril (1-5) and was out of the competition. “For us, the two League Cup games, and it could have been only one, were part of the pre-season. It was the start of a process that, I think, gave us hope that we are on the right track .” job and to build something important for this season,” he said.
At the helm of the team, 36-year-old Bruno Dias continues. “He is a methodical and organized person, with leadership qualities. He is ambitious, wants to prove his worth and is “hungry” to rise in football. His values match those of the president and the board, even though all the coaches are depending on the results of course. We are very satisfied with your work and your ability to unite the goals,” he says.
As for the opponents he will face this season, he has no doubts about the difficulties Belenenses will face. “I see it’s the biggest investment ever, in financial terms, by the participating teams, it’s the strongest II Liga ever. On paper and in theory there are seven, eight, nine teams that are candidates for promotion, but then they will they have to prove it on the field. As for Belenenses, I admit that all opponents we are going to play are favourites, but then we will always have a word to say and take all fields to win,” he said. guaranteed.
And the truth is that there is no shortage of renowned names: in addition to the B teams of FC Porto (António Folha) and Benfica (Nélson Veríssimo), the league will have many experienced people on the benches, such as Tulipa (Marítimo), Silas ( Mafra), Jorge Costa (AVS) or Hélder Cristóvão (Penafiel), in addition to the unknown of a new club, Länk Vilaverdense.
Source: DN
