And then there were four…

Out of the 18 clubs in Portugal’s top flight this season, only four have the same head coach with whom they started the 2024/25 campaign.

The Primeira Liga is often a manager’s graveyard, but this campaign has broken records in terms of instability in the dugout.

For a start, it is the first time in close to 100 years of history of the competition that all three of Portugal’s major clubs – Sporting, Benfica and Porto – have changed their coach in the course of the season. 

Full list of changes in head coach in Primeira Liga 2024/25

Curiosities

• Not all coaches were sacked because of poor results. Rúben Amorim, and owing to the domino effect, Rui Borges, were “poached” owing to their excellent work at Sporting and Vitória, by Manchester United and Sporting respectively.
• One manager has achieved the notable feat of getting sacked from two different clubs. Daniel Sousa was shown the door by both Minho teams, Braga and Vitória, and on each occasion it was a controversial decision given the few matches played. Sousa oversaw a total of just seven games at the two clubs.  
• As well as Amorim and Borges, one other manager walked before he was pushed. Italian tactician Cristiano Bacci left cash-strapped Boavista with the Porto club in a dire position in terms of its playing squad. Bacci had earned praise from the press and his peers for the job he was doing in incredibly difficult conditions and it is no surprise he has quickly found himself another job, at Moreirense.
• Five coaches on the list have managed two clubs this season: the aforementioned Daniel Sousa, Rui Borges and Cristiano Bacci, as well as Tozé Marreco and César Peixoto. In Peixoto’s case, just one week separated his departure from Moreirense and his appointment at Gil Vicente.

The survivors

Primeira Liga clubs that have not changed coach in 2024/25: Santa Clara (Vasco Matos), Casa Pia (João Pereira), Estoril (Ian Cathro) and Nacional (Tiago Margarido).

The reputations of Vasco Matos and João Pereira have soared after the fantastic job they are doing at Santa Clara and Casa Pia respectively, on the back of impressive work in previous seasons.

A word of praise must go to Estoril Praia and Nacional da Madeira. Both clubs were struggling in the first half of the season but stuck with their managers and have been rewarded with a sharp upturn in results in 2025.

Perhaps these two clubs and their patient approach should serve as an example for presidents and boardroom members of other Portuguese clubs in the coming seasons.

By Tom Kundert