The end of the season awards have been announced in Portugal, and two Manchester United targets stole the headlines.
The 2013/14 Primeira Liga season saw Porto’s dominance finally ended, as Benfica’s title win made it just the second time since 2006 that Porto had failed to claim top spot. In fact, they didn’t even finish in the top two, as Sporting Lisbon’s impressive season left Porto in third place.
Benfica almost made it a stunning treble, as not only did they win the league but also the cup, and they were unlucky to lose on penalties in the Europa League final against Sevilla – meaning the infamous Bela Guttman curse lives on (if you believe in that).
Manager Jorge Jesus became a controversial figure after his antics against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League, but it was unsurprising to see him claim the manager of the year award, after his Benfica side lost just two games throughout the season, and sat in first place for 16 weeks, never allowing any pressure to get to them.
One of their key players was midfielder Enzo Perez, with the Argentina international taking on a prominent role after the departure of Nemanja Matic to Chelsea in January. The reported Manchester United target, 28, could yet move to Old Trafford in a £23.7m deal, and his outstanding campaign was rewarded with the player of the season award.
Another Manchester United target, William Carvalho, became one of the most coveted players in Europe after an incredible season with Sporting Lisbon. The 22-year-old won the player of the month award four times and the young player of the month another six times, emphasising his dominance throughout the season. The Angolan born anchor man has a huge future ahead of him, and winning the best newcomer award was totally deserved.
The other awards went out to familiar faces too. Benfica goalkeeper Jan Oblak – set to replace Thibaut Courtois at Atletico Madrid – claimed the goalkeeper of the year award after a staggering 14 clean sheets in just 16 games, whilst reported Arsenal and Chelsea target Jackson Martinez finished up as top goalscorer with 20 goals.
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