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Here’s the problem with Portugal.
They have a Big Three consisting of Sporting, FC Porto, and SL Benfica. These three clubs have won the league every single year of its existence since the 30s. Except for 45-46 season (Beleneses) and 2000-01 season (Boavista). Boavista fell hard and are back in the National Championship C – the third level of football. Meanwhile, after a few years in the second level, Beleneses was just promoted back to the top flight. So there’s no competition for the Big Three from those two clubs. In every season, you tend to see the Big Three locking up the top three spots.
In the last ten years, 6 of the seasons the Big Three held all three spots. In the other 4, just one team came in. So of the 30 places in the top three over that time, the Big Three held 26 of those spots. Braga finished second and third once each, Ferreira was 3rd last year, and Vitória de Guimarães was 3rd back in the 2007-08 season. Note that all four times, it was Sporting that failed to hit the top three, so Porto and Benfica have hit Top Three every season for the last ten years.
In its entire history, Madeira has finished 4th twice, and never cracked the top three. It finished 5th once.
Note that there is another Premier League opponent right here in Madeira – Maritimo. Our rival. Maritimo was the first of the clubs to reach European Competition, but Madeira have had some nice successes in the 2000s in European play. Promoted in 2002, we’ve been as low as 12th and as high as 4th. Our last three seasons were 6th, 7th, and then 8th.
What the team needs is consistency. Here are my goals for Madeira.
1). Secure ourselves and our future in the league by acquiring and improving our talent.
2). Qualify for European Play by getting in the top 6.
3). Do well in the European Leagues (the best we ever did before was making it to the group stage of Europa League)
4). Crack the Top Three of the League and Finish in Champions Qualification
5). Win the League
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