Delta Belenenses vs Sporting CP and FC Porto Vitalis vs AM Madeira SAD are the semi-finals of the Portuguese Senior Men's Handball Cup, which Tavira will host again, on March 31st and April 1st.
José Manuel Guerreiro, councilor for Sports in Tavira, Eduardo Mendonça, president of Clube Vela de Tavira, João Estrela, president of the Algarve Handball Association, was present at the Final Four draw, which took place at the Hotel Vila Galé Ópera, in Lisbon. Ulisses Pereira, vice president of the Portuguese Handball Federation, Miguel Fernandes, executive director of FAP, and Luís Pacheco, representative of the FAP Sports Department.
Representatives of the four clubs also participated: Carlos Galambas (representing AM Madeira A SAD), José Francisco (Delta Belenenses), Mário Soares (FC Porto) and Fernando Nunes (Sporting CP).
Ulisses Pereira started the draw, saying he hopes that “the Final Four of the Portuguese Cup will be a high point in the sport, since all the conditions for this are created, not only by the clubs that will participate, but also, and mainly, because of the organizational, accommodation and hospitality conditions we find in Tavira”.
Ulisses Pereira also underlined that “it was necessary to make an effort on the part of both the Federation and the Municipality of Tavira, with the support of the Vila Galé Hotels, but a solution was found so that it can be repeated last year's organizational success”.
This was followed by a few words from councilor José Manuel Guerreiro, who was invited to draw the semi-finals.
Once the games were known, the councilor from Tavira stated that he had “good expectations regarding these events in Tavira. The Dr. Eduardo Mansinho Municipal Pavilion, which hosts the present tournament, is able to meet the needs of the initiative, as it already has its third edition”.
The mayor also recalled that “the first modality to be received in this sports equipment was handball, in an RTP trophy, in 1991”.
The sports councilor also underlined that handball is "a sport very dear to the people of Tavir".
In the mayor's opinion, “a final is anticipated, but sometimes there are surprises, the ball is round, it depends a lot on how the teams are at the moment. May the best win and be the best possible final”.
About the semi-finals, José Francisco (Delta Belenenses) pointed out that “the teams that are at this stage are the best, as they were the ones that managed to get this far. There are no easy teams, so any one, for Delta Belenenses, is difficult. We will try to solve this game with Sporting, I think it will be balanced, we lost with Sporting in the first phase (handball 1), we drew at home… I think we have a chance. Let's do our best”.
On the Sporting CP side, Fernando Nunes said he expected “a difficult game. We have to be realistic that the draw was good for Sporting. Theoretically we are stronger, but the Belenenses team has already robbed us of points this year in the championship. We know that it is always an opponent who has nothing to lose, who plays at the limits, plays a lot with the irreverence of the team's youth and we know it will be difficult to reach the final.”
Mário Soares (FC Porto) hopes that his club will win the game. “Madeira SAD is a competitive team, we were, in a way, surprised now in this last game in Funchal, we hope to win in Tavira, which is neutral ground. We have reached this stage, now we hope to win”.
On behalf of the Madeiran team, Carlos Galambas said that “when looking at the teams, I think this was not the best draw for Madeira SAD, but Madeira's path in the Portuguese Cup makes them not afraid to play against another “big”. They have already eliminated Benfica and, now, the objective is to eliminate Porto and reach the final.
About the Final Four, which Tavira will host for the third consecutive year, the executive director of the Federation Miguel Fernandes reinforced the commitment made with the City Council to continue the race, a situation that was possible, “because the Vila Galé hotel group gave great support, all the conditions being met to be another great Final Four”.
Comments