Taça da Liga: a business model, not a football model

Even if the football news agenda in Portugal had not been hijacked this week by another coach bound for the English Premier League’s El Dorado, the Taça da Liga (Portuguese League Cup) matches would have attracted little interest.

A potentially interesting competition has increasingly turned into an ugly cash cow, with a farcical format and the sole intention of generating more money for the football authorities, as explained by José Ricardo Leite.

The Taça da Liga (the Portuguese League Cup) is a competition that started in the 2007–08 season. At that time it was a football-oriented competition. The teams from the top two divisions (the only divisions that were professional at the time) had a chance. Of course, the preference was from the first division, because the teams from the second level would compete against each other, divided into four groups of four teams each. But that was understandable. The top clubs simply couldn’t afford to have a 32-team league in the middle of the season on top of the Champions League, Europa League, Cup and Championship.

So the Taça da Liga was always seen as a weak trophy to win. It just wasn’t important, the fans didn’t get excited about it (except for the second tier clubs and the fans who just don’t move a lot of money in Portugal). Yet it was purely based on meritocracy, from the current season or from the previous one. So in an attempt to make it more attractive, the Liga Portugal board changed the format.

Football in Portugal is easy to understand: you have the “Big 3” Porto, Benfica and Sporting. Then you have Braga and Vitória de Guimarães who compete for 4th place every season. And finally, you have three to four teams that become very good because of a new talent or a new coach who changes their playing style and mentality. These 3-4 teams are very good early in the season; they are the so-called “one-season wonders”. They are never the same 3-4 teams from season to season, and they change frequently.

The Taça da Liga was actually more attractive under this new format: second-tier teams would still compete against each other, but in an elimination match. Those who made it through then faced the top tier clubs in a one-match elimination format EXCEPT the previous season’s top 4, who had a ticket straight to stage three. The winners of those matches would join the top 4 in group form, with the winners of said groups advancing to the “Final Four”, played on a neutral venue. In theory, all clubs still have a chance. But this format made it too easy for the top-4 top-tier teams to get through. And then the company called.

Last season, Liga Portugal president Pedro Proença announced a new format for the Taça da Liga and the board’s desire to “internationalize the Liga Portugal brand”. This meant one thing: the ‘Final Four’ is going abroad, probably to an Arab country. The fans were not happy about this, as not everyone has the convenience of arriving in Qatar on a random Wednesday evening to see their favorite team. There’s no better way to put it: the clubs (especially the more modest ones) and the fans were extremely unhappy. But if they thought they were unhappy then, the format was created to make everything worse.

The new format makes the Taça da Liga very small: only the top-6 teams in the first division of the previous season would be allowed to play, accompanied by the top-2 (TWO) of the second tier of the previous season. Which meant that ONLY top teams would have a chance, as the top two second-tier teams from a previous season would be promoted to the first division. I can’t emphasize this enough: the top 4 teams are miles ahead of the others. In terms of money and skills. The second tier clubs were furious, the smaller top tier clubs were furious. But that just didn’t matter. Money is king. Internationalizing the Liga Portugal brand is a priority for the administration. So the fans marched into this movie.

Earlier this week, the fan base of all the clubs participating in this year’s Taça da Liga made a statement: the ultras (who create the atmosphere in the stands in this country) will NOT attend Taça da Liga matches as long as this format remains. Looks simple, right? Wrong. We are talking about the biggest rivalries in Portugal: Braga and Vitória, Porto, Benfica and Sporting: all united against Liga Portugal and their ridiculous plans to go abroad and try to ‘cultivate’ the money of the Arab countries. Maybe it’s just because Cristiano Ronaldo is there and he would like to go to a Penafiel against Benfica in Riyadh. But those are bananas, so one might think the Money is King theory is more accurate.

During this week the matches had no ultras in the stands: Juve Leo from Sporting, Super Dragões and Colectivo 95 from Porto, Diabos Vermelhos from Benfica, White Angels and Insane from Vitória, Red Boys from Braga. Nobody showed up. The ultra stands were empty. All clubs, from the largest to the smallest, united (at least their supporters) against the power of money. Football is football. Sure, it moves a lot of money. But football is passion, it is love, it is the reason for the fans to make us happy, sad or anxious. Football is for the fans. Football, and his passion, is not a business.

In a week when all the news, and quite frankly the whole world, was waiting for Amorim in Manchester, Sporting have shown a top mentality. It was a boring match, in which Nacional knew their best chance was to maintain a nil-nil result and try to win it on penalties. Amorim showed up with an alternative team. This conjugation resulted in the most boring game imaginable in the first half. Fortunately, Gyökeres and his friends came on in the second half, tearing up the field and creating chances from one side and the other.

+ Gyökeres. He’s just too good. Second time writing on this platform, second time putting this beast on top. A monster on the pitch (if you haven’t seen the video from the stands of his free kick goal, go watch it, it’s outrageous).

-Jose Gomes. The left back, usually known for his defensive security and attacking ability, especially when crossing the ball, was completely out of this match. Too bad, maybe the match would have been different if he was on his day.

A copy cat from Sporting-Nacional. An insular team dropped back and tried to waste time and push the game to a penalty shootout, and a big team out of ideas in the first half. Di María came on in the second half and was a game changer. Maybe as he gets older this will be his favorite place. In the second half, take to the field and adorn the beautiful game with his skills.

+ Angel Di María. A game changer on the flank and on the inside line. When he’s not tired of chasing the ball and lending his hand to a high-pressure defensive style, he’s showing why he’s one of the best players of his generation.

– Sidney. If football was a playground, he would have been a slider in that game. Everything passed him by.

A disgrace of a game. Not because of the football on the field, but it is clear that Braga preferred referees: that penalty is outrageous. This match would be the most fun to watch (and football-wise it was). Two teams, eternal rivals, competing for a chance to win a trophy. The referee could have sent it all to hell.

+ Niakaté. A monster in the defensive line and scoring an important goal. Always ready to take to the pitch and disrupt the indoor game that Vitória loves so much. Great performance.

– Referee Fábio Veríssimo. That red card and penalty are one of the most disgraceful things I have ever seen in my 22 years of existence. If it were 2009, this would be Chelsea-Barcelona, ​​with Braga being Barcelona and Vitória being Chelsea. It is difficult to shake the idea that he favored Braga, so that the “Final Four” would be played by Braga, Porto, Benfica and Sporting. Shameful.

It is clear that Porto are not yet completely satisfied with Vítor Bruno’s playing style. To be honest, even Vítor Bruno isn’t happy with his own playing style. Fortunately, the special players under his command continually save his life. It was a good match, with Moreirense not wanting to hold back and trying to get forward with their wide players. Porto responded well enough, but not brilliantly.

+ Eustaquio. A goal and a strong game from the Canadian-Portuguese. Good with the ball, brilliant without it, reading the game at almost a perfect level. A big headache for Vítor Bruno.

-Namaso. Namaso is simply too weak to be a player for a team like Porto. Three seasons later, fans still don’t know where he should play: as number 10? As a winger? As a striker? Bruno seems to like him, but if his performance doesn’t improve soon, he’ll be dropped from the team.