Coaching changes in Portugal

Coaches Manuel Oliveira of Gil Vicente FC and FC Paços de Ferreira's José Mota will both leave their respective clubs at the end of the current season.

Best-ever performance
Currently in fifth place in the 1.Liga, Gil Vicente are enjoying their best-ever season. Only three points adrift of fourth-placed Vitória Guimarães, the club has a realistic chance of claiming a higher position with four league games left to play.

'Different ideas'
This performance made Oliveira’s deicision all the more unexpected. "I had a meeting this afternoon with the board and we agreed about my exit at the end of this campaign," he said. "We had been some problems and different ideas about the preparations for next season."

Solid performances
Paços de Ferreira are currently in ninth place in the table, in their third season in  the top flight. José Mota arrived at the club in early 2000, and guided Paços de Ferreira to promotion back to the Portuguese elite at the first time of asking, before leading the  side to eighth and ninth-placed finished in the next two seasons, displays they are well-placed to repeat this season.
   
'My decision'
Mota announced his exit in a press conference seated next to the chairman. "I made this decision two months ago," he explained. "I am sad because I arrived [at] this club as a player 16 years ago. But I have others ambitions."