For Sporting and Benfica to get close, FC Porto must… | OneFootball

“It will be very positive for the clubs and for the image of our professional competition. Credit is due to those who picked up points in many [European] matches over recent seasons. It is excellent to be able to have three teams in an elite and excellence setting [such as the Champions League],” the former midfielder, 53, told Lusa news agency. He represented the three ‘big’ clubs and coached the youth national teams between 2007 and 2022 and, again, from 2024 to 2026, from under-15 to under-20 level.

In the 2026/27 season, Portugal will have six places for European competitions, one more than in the previous three seasons, after overtaking the Netherlands in sixth place in the UEFA ranking in 2025/26.

The Champions League will feature three Portuguese clubs, two directly in the league phase and another coming through the qualifiers. Even so, Peixe believes the gap between FC Porto, Sporting, Benfica and Sporting de Braga – the top four in the Primeira Liga since 2017/18 – and the remaining teams will continue to be felt.

“It would be preferable if the gap narrowed, because that would be a sign there was the ability and capital to invest in players of a different level and provide better conditions for the clubs at the bottom of the table, but I believe it is very difficult for that convergence to happen in a very natural way,” acknowledged the under-20 world champion in 1991 and under-16 world champion in 1989 with Portugal.

Hoping that clubs such as Famalicão, Gil Vicente or Vitória de Guimarães, among others, “bring greater competitive balance,” Peixe points to FC Porto as the main title candidate, given the “stability, quality and aggressiveness” shown last season, which ended with the league title four years after the previous one.

“For Sporting and Benfica to get close, FC Porto must not have the extraordinary season they had. I believe their rivals will try everything not to let the same happen again,” noted the former midfielder, who took part in the last two seasons – 1997/98 and 1998/99 – of the Dragons’ historic ‘penta’, achieved through five consecutive league titles.

In Peixe’s view, Benfica “will have more difficulties” asserting themselves at the start of a season in which they replaced José Mourinho with Marco Silva as head coach. Sporting, meanwhile, remain “balanced and cohesive,” after a year and a half under Rui Borges.

“He has done an exceptional job and pre-season confirmed what many think of him. He is a coach with a simple way about him, but he brings quality and a very positive game idea. Sporting have lost some key figures, but they still have a very strong team,” he admitted, referring to the club where he came through the academy and made his senior debut.

The former youth national team coach also highlighted the “medium- and long-term work” carried out by Sporting de Braga. For Peixe, the “evolving dynamic of the structure, the players and the coaching staff” could make the club a “pleasant surprise” in the league.

“I believe that before long they will, at the very least, be in the title race until the end. The club maintains stability, has a strong structure, already makes sales at the level of the ‘big’ clubs, and develops footballers of great quality,” he explained.

In Peixe’s opinion, the more balanced distribution of revenue from the audiovisual rights to Primeira Liga and Segunda Liga matches, whose sale will become centralized in 2028/29, could reduce the differences between clubs and create new possibilities for growth.

“That already happens in other settings. The future is taking us in that direction, not least because [centralization] has to happen, otherwise we will keep producing the same thing and will stop being on the upward path that is intended,” he stressed.

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