The Pastries: C.F. Os Belenenses

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C.F. Os Belenenses​

Founded in 1919, Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses are one of the oldest clubs in Portugal. There was a time where Belenenses was considered one of the "Big Four". In the first fifteen years of the Taça de Portugal, the club lifted the trophy 3 times from a total of 6 finals.

The club also has a historic claim to the Portuguese top flight. Belenenses won the 1945-46 Primeira Liga, the first and only club outside the Big Three to do so.

Recent Upheaval ​

Following some recent upheaval, C.F. Os Belenenses have found themselves in the sixth division of Portuguese football. Essentially, the club split into two different sides. C.F. Os Belenenses kept the badge, stadium, history and fans, whilst Belenenses SAD who kept their Primeira Liga status with a new badge and stadium.

B-SAD now find themselves in the second tier, just one step above the mighty CF Os. I will make it one of my personal missions to inflict as much pain onto B-SAD as possible. Hopefully making them be very sad indeed.

Goals​

My goal for this save is to restore Belenenses to their position at the upper echelons of Portuguese football, restoring the former 'Big Four'. Whilst it won't be possible to overtake our domestic rivals in trophy count, I'm looking to set the club up for generations of future success.

As eluded to above, I will also be looking to establish ourselves on the right side of the B-SAD split. I'm not sure how far I'll go with this: Big matchday wins? Poaching their best players? Leading an angry mob of Belenenses fans to politely request they liquidate? Thoughts appreciated.

(Truth be told, I actually chose Belenenses for the great facilities. I realised afterwards that leckuno started a great story with them - check his out for the type of success I'm hoping to emulate!)

Vamos!

 

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Expectations and Finances​

Having been promoted last year, the board and fans aren't expecting much. I'm only expected to avoid relegation despite having what looks like a decent squad. I know that if I can get the best out of the players, we'll have a great chance of hitting the top four promotion play off spots.

In terms of finances, the club is in a decent position with around £300,000 in the bank and around £1.5k/week to spend on wages. But, we are projected to be -£300,000 by the end of the season. Once a lot of the squad leaves at the end of the year, we should be able to trim the wage bill, but this is a little concerning for me.

Squad​

So, I've taken over an absolutely massive squad which has already added 16 players prior to my arrival.

This has had a huge impact on our team cohesion, which doesn't start in the best spot. Still, I'll be looking to make a few key signings and ship a number of players out to fit what we do have.

Key Players​

There are a number of great players in the team who can definitely make a difference for us. I'll be looking to mould my system around these guys to help us push on.

Pedro Martelo ​

Martelo is a great forward: tall, decent pace and a very long neck. By far the best striker in the squad, we'll need to get him firing.

Goncalo Maria and Tiago Lopes​

We're lucky to have been blessed with two fantastic left-sided players. Tiago Lopes the quicker of the two, I'll need to play him further forwards whilst Maria will likely hold down the LB slot.

Xavi​

But, our star man is without a doubt Xavi. The 24-year old joined the club in the summer and aside from a beautiful beard and sharp haircut, he brings an all-round quality that nobody else in the squad can match. He's essential to our success this year.

One to Watch? Tiago Moninhas​

With excellent facilities, the club has a bunch of high-potential youngsters. My favourite of the bunch is Moninhas, who could be a diamond in the rough for us. A potential future partner for Martelo?