Vítor Manuel: “We always say the reigning champions are favourites” | OneFootball

FC Porto, Sporting, and Benfica enter the 2026/27 Primeira Liga in different situations. The new season kicks off on Friday and, according to coach Vítor Manuel, it would be important for the other clubs to manage to narrow the gap to the main title contenders.

“Unfortunately, football is a business, and the financial power of the big teams still carries enormous weight in how squads are built, because they always end up having the best. Whoever has the best players and coaches is closer to winning,” the former midfielder, 73, told Lusa. He has a total of 505 matches as a coach in the top flight.

National champions again four years later, FC Porto begin their bid to retain the title, something they have not managed since 2012/13. The Dragons have kept virtually the same team and have already won the first official trophy of the season, beating Torreense, from the second division, 1-0 in the Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup, played in Coimbra.

“We always say that the defending champion is the main favorite, but that only means so much. FC Porto are more stable because they had a good performance in the previous league campaign. Things did not go quite so well in the other competitions, but the most important thing was to win back the title,” he said.

Sporting lost the championship after securing their first back-to-back league titles in almost 70 years. The Lions ended the season without trophies and were involved in a “frustrating campaign,” despite reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.

For Vítor Manuel, the defeat against Torreense in the Portuguese Cup final served as a “wake-up call” and helped trigger the reshaping of Sporting’s squad. That change became clear with the departure of three starters in the very first month of the transfer window and the signing of players with a “different profile,” who have been showing “positive signs.” “The revolution makes some sense. I would not say there is complacency or a lack of professionalism, but this is normal and cultural: the players have already won a lot and it seems like they slow down. You need to know exactly when to make changes, even if it means touching players the fans do not really like to see touched. It is a sign of maturity and awareness,” he stressed.

FC Porto and Sporting secured places in the Champions League league phase, while Benfica, who have not won the Primeira Liga since 2022/23, are playing in the Europa League qualifying rounds and started the season with a new coach. “Benfica are searching for direction and taking time to find themselves. Things are unclear. It is a team running at half speed and still not solid enough for what Benfica fans want,” Vítor Manuel stressed, considering the performances of some new signings insufficient, despite the “heavy investment” and the expectations created.

José Mourinho left Benfica without trophies in his second spell at the club and returned to Real Madrid 13 years later. Marco Silva took charge of the Eagles after five seasons at Fulham in England, returning to the Primeira Liga more than a decade after managing Estoril and Sporting. “Marco Silva’s teams play well and have quality. He comes in under pressure, and it is only natural for that to exist at Benfica. I think that is good: it is a sign that he is at a big club and has big challenges ahead of him,” said Vítor Manuel, who oversaw the then-defender’s senior debut for Belenenses in 1996/97.

Out of coaching for 11 years, the manager also worked in the top flight with Académica, Penafiel, União de Leiria, Leça, Salgueiros, and Alverca. Braga, a regular top-four side alongside the big clubs since 2017/18, are now looking to reach the Conference League after making the Europa League semi-finals. “They try to get closer, but they cannot take the final step. Braga’s aim is to get involved in the title race. It would be good so this would not just be more of the same with the usual contenders,” he said.

Vítor Manuel expects a “season of good quality” and highlights Famalicão, Gil Vicente, and Moreirense, clubs he sees as “increasingly well established” and capable of fighting for European spots. As for Vitória de Guimarães, he believes the team is “trying to recover its identity.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.