Blast from the past: Académico de Viseu beat Pedroto’s Vitória de Guimarães to stay among the elite | OneFootball

On Saturday night Académico de Viseu host Vitória Sport Clube in the top flight for the first time in almost half a century. Football historian Miguel Lourenço Pereira turns the clock back to a significant past meeting between the two clubs.

In 1980, Académico de Viseu returned to the top tier. It was a period of decentralisation in Portuguese football, with the interior and northern sides gaining ever more relevance, and although Viseu’s stint ended up being short, it paved the way for more sides from areas outside Lisbon or Porto to raise their voice.

The season became the first and only time Académico managed not to be relegated straight back to the second tier, largely thanks to moments like the ones they enjoyed against a resurgent Vitória SC coached by none other than José Maria Pedroto.

Yo-yo Académico

In 1977/78 Académico de Viseu were promoted for the first time to the top tier. It was an iconic moment for a side that had always been close to experiencing first division football but somehow never managed to clinch that final step. Football was moving from the hegemony of the River Tejo South Bank clubs to a much more widespread representation. Madeira sides were coming strong, the Algarve was starting to make a name for itself with the likes of Farense and Portimonense, and the long-lost interior was about to enjoy the heights of the likes of Sporting Covilhã and Desportivo de Chaves. Académico’s success was part of that new wave, and it didn’t last long, just the single season, with many believing it would be a one-off. They were wrong. The following campaign, 1979/80, they got into the midst of a promotion contest and came out on top, thus booking a second stint in the first division.

Académico celebrated promotion back into the top flight in 1979/80 season (Photo: Academico de Viseu)

Coached by José Moniz, the side included the likes of goalkeeper Hélder Catalão, defenders José Manuel, Fernando and Sobreiro, midfielders Águas and Rodrigo, the team captain, and forwards Dinho, Inaldo and Arnaldo, but there was no doubt, when the season of 1980/81 started, that they ranked among the prime candidates to be relegated once again. In a sixteen-side league, Viseu, Amora and Marítimo were seen as shoe-ins for the drop, but the way the competition was structured meant that the team finishing in 13th place would play a mini league event against the sides who finished second in the three divisions of the second tier.

Fight to beat 13th place

Worse, they were slated to start the league against Vitória, in Guimarães, a side now run by Pimenta Machado who had promised the club’s fervent supporters he was going to build a club worthy of their passionate fandom, capable of challenging the Big Three in a few years. Académico lost the opener 2-0, and dignifying draws against Sporting and Belenenses were followed by a first win, against Vitória FC from Setúbal, and two more versus Espinho and Boavista. Varzim came on top when the two sides met and by the end of the first half of the league.

Académico had 13 points and were sitting dangerously in that 13th spot in the table, just one point adrift from direct relegation. Everything could change at any moment. As the season restarted, Viseu prepared to host Vitória, and they were willing to return the favour of the first fixture of the campaign. Only, this was a very different Vitória side than the one they played against, months before.

The Académico de Viseu lineup in the 1980/81 season (Photo: Académico de Viseu)

Legendary José Pedroto takes the helm at Vitória

After being dismissed by FC Porto’s president Américo de Sá, in a turn of events that culminated with the squad going on strike and Pinto da Costa out of the club as sporting director, José Maria Pedroto found himself jobless. He had an offer to join Sporting from João Rocha but his heart was fully committed to Porto and he never really wanted to go back south, where he had played for Belenenses and coached Vitória FC, with great success on both occasions. Fernando Peres began the campaign as Vitória SC manager, but Pimenta Machado started to cook the idea of bringing Pedroto in so that he could make to the club the same thing he did for Boavista years before, converting a small-time side into title contenders in just a few seasons.

At first Pedroto had doubts, and the season went ahead with Peres guiding the ship well enough. Vitória sat fifth in the sixth round, after losing against Sporting Espinho, five points behind Benfica but only two from Porto, who ran second. It was the moment Pedroto understood the side had potential and finally agreed to join, meaning Peres, who had done all right but showed against the Espinho side that he lacked the star quality Machado was demanding for his project, was out of a job for the following fixture.

Coaching royalty guiding Guimarães

Pedroto brought with him his faithful deputy António Morais, who had worked with him at Porto before, but also a newcomer, someone he believed had everything to make an impact as first-team coach sooner rather than later, and who indeed would join Pedroto in the pantheon of the greatest ever Portuguese coaches: Artur Jorge. The former Académica de Coimbra and Benfica striker had finished his playing career and decided to embrace the job of coach and found in Pedroto a patient master from whom he could learn. Even with Morais displaying a logical sense of jealousy, he fitted right into the coaching staff and became a sponge for everything Pedroto had to teach him.

José Maria Pedroto, Artur Jorge and Carlos Pimenta Machado on the Vitória SC bench (Photo: Glórias do Passado)

In the first match with the Vitória squad, Pedroto was held to a draw in the dying seconds by Boavista, his former club. The rivalry between the two sides would become a stuff of legends for the following two decades as they wanted to oust the Big Three, with both football projects drawn up from scratch by the same man. By the time Vitória were travelling to Viseu, the side was now sixth in the league table, behind their regional rivals Braga and the surprising Portimonense, who were fourth, but third place was only four points away. Yet, to get there, they needed a win against a side who was aware every point won at home meant the world.

Freezing weather, red-hot match

It was freezing on that January 11th afternoon as both sides ran into the Fontelo pitch to a decent home crowd, ready to host a side managed by none other than the Special One of his day. By then Idalino Almeida had taken control of the home team and he called upon Catalão in goal as expected, with Simões, Sobreiro, Teixeira and Emanuel in the back four followed by Rodrigo, Baltasar, Aguinaldo, Chico Santos, Aguas and Flavio up front. Pedroto, on the other hand, went with Melo in goal, ahead of the living legend Vítor Damas, and Ramalho, Tozé, Leopoldo and Nivaldo in defence. Barrinha, Ferreira da Costa, Abreu and Rocha would play in midfield supporting the attacking duo of Salvador and Tom Blanker, the side’s Dutch striker.

Things started well for the visitors. Vitoria began dominantly, and in the sixth minute Ferreira da Costa took advantage of a scramble in the box to open the scoring. While many expected Académico to struggle, they immediately bounced back, taking control of the ball and twenty minutes later got a well-deserved equaliser with the Brazilian Aguinaldo netting the ball past Melo.

Late set-piece wins it for Académico

It was game on all over again, but the mood had shifted. Académico seemed more comfortable and started to press higher, and after half-time, they kept on going after the second goal while Vitória appeared to be satisfied with the point. Fatal mistake. Idalino smelled blood and went for it, sending Moreira and Dinho on for Baltasar and Aguinaldo. Viseu had the better chances, and with fifteen minutes to play, Emanuel got the better of it after a set piece to make it 2-1 for the locals. There was no reaction from Vitória as the home crowd exulted in an unexpected but well-deserved triumph that opened up good prospects for the rest of the campaign.

Centre-back Emanuel scored the all-important winner (Photo: Glórias do Passado)

In the end, Académico finished 13th and thus were forced to play another mini league in a play-off to remain in the top flight. They faced Leixões, Juventude de Evora and Nazarenos and got the better of it, thus booking a ticket for a second consecutive first division season. They would be relegated by the end of it, though, returning briefly for a third time in 1988, and then after a long stretch in the desert, the recent promotion in 2026.

Pedroto, Morais and Jorge move to FC Porto

Vitória, on the other hand, ended the campaign in 5th, five points below Boavista but ahead of Braga, Vitória and Portimonense. They went one better the following campaign but by then Pimenta Machado knew his dream had to wait as Pinto da Costa was elected Porto’s president by promising to bring back Pedroto for the 1982/83 campaign, which he did. When Pedroto fell ill, his first deputy in Guimarães, Morais, took over but from the 1984/85 season it was his other assistant, Artur Jorge, who was named first-team coach. The rest is history, as Jorge led Porto to their first European Cup trophy.

Vitória would become a regular contender for European places after that season, but they never reached as high as Boavista or Setúbal had under Pedroto and many still believe that if he had stayed in Guimarães, the club’s future would have been different.

Pedroto oversees a training session during his spell at Vitória Sport Clube (Photo: Glórias do Passado)