The celebration of Portimonense's consecration as national champion of the II League even started a little later than expected, after 22:30, due to the delay in the arrival of the stage in Portimão. The delay was the responsibility of the Portuguese Football League, which moved the structure from the North of the country.
And the result was that the Portimonense team, who traveled by plane from the Azores to Lisbon and then by bus to Portimão, ended up arriving before the stage. But that didn't stop the festivities from starting with around 5000 fans waiting for them in Praça 1º de Maio, the square in front of the Town Hall. And the Algarve team started by being received in the Paços do Concelho.
Shortly after, to the applause and cheers of 5000 fans, including many young people, the cup for the national champion of the II League in the 2016/2017 season was transported and handed over by Pedro Proença, the president of the Portuguese Football League. This was followed by the delivery of medals, with national champion athletes parading one by one on the stage set up in the municipality's square.
However, on the sidelines of the party, the coach Vítor Oliveira confirmed what he had already said during the afternoon: that will continue ahead of the technical command of Portimonense…although some details remain to be settled.
"There are a number of factors that led me to consider and decide to continue, after the invitation of Mr. Theo [Theodoro Fonseca, SAD's main shareholder] and we are preparing for the next season," said Vítor Oliveira, to reporters.
Among these factors, added the coach, are the way he was “treated in Portimão, the conversation he had with SAD, the good atmosphere, the possibility of making a good team and the enormous desire to make Portimonense even bigger”.
For his part, Rodiney Sampaio, general director of SAD, was more cautious, saying that the coach's continuity "depends on details, which will be analyzed".
“We'll think about it from Monday, more calmly, head in place, so as not to make mistakes. Neither for his part, nor for our part. We will have to talk calmly», stressed Rodiney Sampaio.
What is certain is that Vítor Oliveira announced that he is already preparing the team for the future season in the I League. “We have been working in the team for two weeks, with the necessary reinforcements. Obviously, we are going to maintain the structure of the team and we are going to try to reinforce those positions that seem to be the most necessary», stressed the coach of the Algarve team.
Photos: Nelson Inácio |Sul Informação
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