As the summer transfer window dust begins to settle, European teams can finally nestle into their seasons with their filled out rosters. With 16 of the 23 members who made up Portugal’s Confederations Cup squad playing their trade outside of Portugal, it is imperative that the Portuguese abroad have a strong season as the team prepares for the World Cup next summer. For this fifth and final installment, Portuguese playing in Italy will be highlighted. To see an updated list of all Portuguese players playing abroad, visit out Portuguese Players Abroad page. Continue reading
italy
Éder Opens Portugal Account
Italy 0-1 Portugal
International Friendly
After almost three years appearing for the Seleção, Éder scored his first goal today, as Portugal scraped through a 1-0 victory over Italy in a friendly match played in Geneva, Switzerland. For fans of the Portuguese team, Éder has gained a reputation for profligacy in front of goal, despite impressive (yet waning) performances in Portugal for Braga. His excellent finish from Ricardo Quaresma’s trivela cross in the 52nd minute was all Portugal needed to earn the victory, despite going long spells during the match on the back-foot. Continue reading
Liga NOS Players Rewarded by Fernando Santos; 25-Man U-21 Squad Named
Portugal head coach Fernando Santos named today a squad of 25 to face Armenia and Italy. The Portuguese National Team faces Armenia in a Euro 2016 qualification match on June 13th, before facing Italy in a friendly match three days later. Santos used this opportunity to call up a number of players who have impressed this season, both in Portugal and Spain. Danilo Pereira, Pizzi, and André André all earned calls, after excellent seasons for Marítimo, Benfica and Vitória Guimarães, respectively. In addition, Daniel Carriço earned his first call, after his excellent season saw him lift the Europa League trophy with Sevilla for the second time in two seasons. Continue reading
Aladje: Portugal’s Discovered Gem Lost Again
Aladje (center) in action against Cuba at the 2013 U-20 World Cup.
Everybody remembers Portugal’s run in the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Laden with precocious talent in the form of Bruma, Joao Mario, and Andre Gomes, Portugal’s attack was flashy and effective. Almost all the players on the team played their club football in Portugal, with the exception of two Barcelona B players, Edgar Ie and Agostinho Ca, and Aladje. At the time of the tournament, Aladje was a virtual unknown in the team. Having just finished a season in the Italian fourth division, Aladje’s performances in pre-tournament friendlies and the Toulon Tournament were enough to cement a place in the team, and ultimately the starting lineup for Portugal. His performances at the tournament continued to impress, and during the tournament, he was purchased by Serie A side Sassuolo. Since that time, Aladje has fallen by the wayside. One of Portugal’s most surprising and exciting talents has just disappeared once again. Continue reading
Hugo Almeida Signs on at Cesena
Luis Neto Signs for Zenit
Neto
Siena to Zenit
After months of speculation regarding his future, Luis Neto has finally made the move away from Siena. A number of teams were reportedly interested in signing the defender, including Juventus, Roma, Dinamo Moscow, and Fenerbahce. Neto, however, has chosen to move to the snow-covered fields of Russia to meet up with fellow countrymen Bruno Alves and Danny at Zenit St. Petersburg. The Russian season has not yet begun, as the country is gripped by a bitter winter. If Neto can replicate the form that earned him plaudits at Siena, he will have no problem holding down a starting spot at Zenit. The price? 6 million Euros.
Nelson Moves to Italy
Nelson
Real Betis to Palermo
Real Betis right-back Nelson has made the switch to Italy to join Palermo. The Italian side are struggling in Serie A so far this season. Normally a top half team, Palermo now finds itself second to last in the Serie A, with only 17 points from 22 games. Real Betis, however, is currently over-performing in La Liga, and currently sits at fifth in the standings. Nelson has appeared only ten times in the league for Betis so far this season, but will most likely become an important part of Palermo.
Transfer Rumors – 1/9/12
There almost always seems to be more rumors during the transfer window than actual deals. This season has not been an exception, and with the rumors flying in, here are some of the more notable ones.
Salvador Agra
Olhanense to Real Betis?
Salvador Agra has been nothing short of a revelation for Olhanense this season. The winger, who can also be deployed as a striker, joined Olhanense from Varzim at the beginning of the season. Not much was expected of him, at least not as much as he as shown. Though he has only scored once thus far this season, he has proved himself as a vital piece of the team through his lively and smart play. Other clubs have not ignored this. Real Betis look to be front-runners for his signature. Osasuna and Koln have all said to be interested recently, and Betis even had an offer rejected. Olhanense has stated that they do not plan to sell the winger, regardless of the price.
Varela
Porto to Roma?
Another winger that may be on his way out of Portugal is Silvestre Varela. Varela was in spectacular form last season, and was one of the reasons that Porto were as successful as they were. This season, under new coach Vitor Pereira, Varela has found playing time much too hard to come by. The arrival of Djalma from Maritimo in the off season has reduced his playing time further, and talk of winger Yannick Djalo joining the club may just be the last straw. Varela is fed up with sitting on the sidelines, which will undoubtedly hinder his chances of making the Portuguese squad for Euro 2012. Roma’s ears have perked up at all of this talk. The Italian giants are said to have made Varela their number one target.
Sporting Duo Linked with Italy
Nuno Andre Coelho and Pedro Mendes have been at the heart of some transfer speculation regarding a possible move to Italy. Coelho made the switch from Porto to Sporting in the summer as part of the deal that saw Moutinho go the other way. The defender has done well since the move, well enough to earn a call-up to the Portuguese National Team. Napoli, Samdoria, and Palermo are all courting him, with West Brom, in England, also said to be interested. Formal contact has been made, according to the player’s agent.
Pedro Mendes, who made the move from Rangers to Sporting last season, has also been in the middle of speculation regarding his future at the club. Bologna and Naples are the teams said to be interested in the defensive midfielder, who starred at the World Cup for Portugal last summer. According to reports, Mendes could leave for around 2 million euros.
Yannick Tracked by English Clubs
Sporting forward Yannick Djalo,who is reportedly unhappy with his situation at Sporting, is being tracked by a host of English clubs. Yannick, as he is called, was supposedly very close to a move to Tottenham in the summer, but the move never materialized. Genoa, more recently, were said to be interested in the 24 year-old. Reports suggest that Tottenham, Fulham, and Everton are now in a race for his signature. These reports also suggest that these clubs are much more interested now than they were during the summer, so a move may be more likely.
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