I think it's pretty clear that right now, the Portuguese league is the 6th best in Europe. Anyway, the battle for 6th isn't between Russia, Ukraine and Portugal, it's between Netherlands and Portugal. I suppose many people think that just because Russia is a huge country (aproximately 150 million) and because some rich oil tycoons have bought Russian clubs that their league has to be necessarily better than small countries like Holland and Portugal. However, if you look at it in a more rational way, you'll find that both Holland and Portugal hold a number of advantages with regards to Russian league which compensate for this.
Currently they're even 5th in the UEFA coefficient table. http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method4/crank2012.html And France can't surpass them this season, because all their teams are eliminated. However Portugal can still gain points this season. If you look at the beginning of next season, you will realize that actually three teams will fight for the places 4-6 (it is only relevant not be 6th, because then the 3rd team have to play an extra qualifying round) and these three teams are Portugal, France and Italy. At the start of next season they're only separated by 2.7 points (Portugal can still close the distance). The Netherlands on the other hand need to overcome a 7 points deficit. Oh and next season France will either send three completely inexperienced and low seeded teams to CL or they will most likely send a third level team to EL (when Lyon manage to finish third or better in Ligue 1). So I guess Portugal should stay in front of France for at least another season, unless they have a bad season as well.
Not so long ago I would categorically say that 5th spot is not Portugal's game. We could be there for a bit if we had one/two good years and France one/two bad years, but I thought France would easily recover from the slump. I guess France is paying the price of a more balanced league. Portugal's top 3 had Braga join them as regular point-makers but France misses the Lyon of the past, which got them a regular amount of points upon which others would contribute. So now I'm not so sure Portugal can't make that 5th spot theirs for a good 4/5 years.
palynka You make a valid point but people who do not watch our League only know about Porto, Benfica, Sporting CP and to an extent Braga but in all reality we had teams like Boavista that would regularly qualify for the UEFA Champion's League and boasted Internationals like Freachaut, Nuno Gomes Raul Meireles, Bosingwa, Petit and that same club lauced Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank. Aswell as clubs like Vitoria Guimaraes who nearly qualifed for the CL 3 years ago but fell in the 3rd qualifiying round if they won that game they would of been in the CL Group stage. Plus with teams like Maritimo (who knocked out Leeds at Leeds in the UEFA Cup while in their hey dey era) Aswell as CD Nacional Funchal who knocked out Zenit a couple of years ago in 2010 2011 scoring 4 goals in 1 game against them. Either way I dont see POortugal holding on to 5th for 4 to 5 years but with the smaller club asways getting better every year then you can. Ppl say that the English clubs got worse no they didnt the European Clubs just got better just look at the Russian or Ukrainian Leagues even the POlish League has a couple of teams that can hang with the English clubs.....Aftre all thats what makes European Chamopions League so fun to watch.
Gotcha . He was one of my favorite strikers. Wished that Sporting had picked him up from Campomaiorense.
With all due respect, my point was more about consistency and while Nacional, Guima, Maritimo all had the odd good season, they are far from being consistent contributors. Braga, on the other hand, has managed a decent haul in recent seasons (just look where they are in the UEFA club ranking) to a level that none of the other teams managed. Boavista had two good seasons, but then they were relegated and that never went anywhere. But if you look at those 2 seasons, it was then when Portugal did around 10 points per season (and in 2003/2004 when Porto did a huge amount of points and we only had 4 teams there). So having that extra contributor is the difference that might help Portugal battle for 5th. Hopefully Braga can hang on to that role, and it looks like they are in a good position to do just that.
And if you want to dream high, in the last 3 years Portugal has a combined total which is higher than Italy's! And this despite the fact that it includes Inter's CL win in 2009. An impossible dream, surely. Surely?
Pretty much. The bar to remaining 5th is high, 2001/02 and 2002/03 were by far the best seasons Boavista had and the ones that are of the standard we're talking about here.
Hmm, I guess. If it wasn't for that enforced relegation we could of been in a better position right now. But Braga is turning to be consistent alright, I hope it continues.