Football Season Guide

Unsurprisingly tough season for Beirões, last year, having finished close to the relegation spots, as it has been usual. This season should be no different. In fact, the fans will be very happy if they can repeat the struggling but successful run of last season. The squad for this year is significantly weaker and it will take something very special to keep Tondela at top flight by the end of the season. Pretty much all important players from last season are gone: the iconic and record-breaking Cláudio Ramos is no longer in goal, after 8 memorable years defending Tondela's nets with professionalism and high quality. Trigueira, Moreirense's reserve, is the replacement. There's not even a point for comparison between the two. Moufi and Phillipe Sampaio are also gone, and no visible replacement was brought for defence. It is up now for Yohan Tavares and Filipe Ferreira to hold on the defensive duties. Pepelu, last season's best player, left, unsurprisingly. Fellow Spanish midfieldr Jaume Grau arrived, but it will be very hard to keep up with Pepelu's standards. In attack, several players left (Ronan, Valente, Xavier, Toro, Denilson). Only Murillo was kept, but he will need to be more consistent if he wants to be the attacking reference the club will desperately need, this time around. Rafael Barbosa and Salvador Agra are important addings for attack, but it seems too short, yet. For example, there's only Ruben Fonseca and injury-prone Strkalj for attack: they were third and fourth options by the end of last season. There's always the chance the youngsters can appear, but Tiago Almeida, Jota and Telmo were already seen in action last season, and they don't exactly look like prodigies.