17 July 2007, by Sean Gillen

Portuguese in Spain 2006/07 season review

Miguel, Beto and Nunes impress; Viana and Duda struggle

Miguel – Valencia

After starring for Portugal at the World Cup in Germany, Portuguese full-back Miguel had another solid campaign at club level with Valencia. As the club’s first-choice right-back, Miguel made 30 league appearances for Los Ches as the club secured a top four finish and made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

As one of the team’s key players, Miguel was rested ahead of the Champions League last eight meeting with Chelsea, which Valencia looked to be in control for much of the tie. A 1-1 draw in London gave the Spaniards a great chance of making it through to the semi-finals, but after taking a 1-0 lead at home, Valencia were stunned by two second half goals as Chelsea edged through.

Domestically, a poor first half of the season, which included several injuries to key players, saw Valencia in 9th place after fifteen league games. However, six wins in a row set the team on a good run in the second half of the campaign, leading to a fourth place finish and an outside hope of the title that only ended with two games remaining.


Hugo Viana – Valencia

Hugo Viana endured another frustrating year outside Portugal in 2006/07 with Valencia. As has been the case for the majority of his career away from former club Sporting, Viana spent large spells on the sidelines, leading to another move at the end of the season.

The midfielder started just seven games in La Liga, with a solitary start in the Champions League and 23 substitute appearances in the two competitions. Valencia’s Copa Del Rey campaign provided Viana with a more consistent amount of football, but the 24-year-old remained perturbed at his lack of opportunities in the first team.

Viana missed Valencia’s last five games of the season and agreed to a loan move to Osasuna in the close reason, in another attempt to revive his career.


Roberto Beto – Recreativo

Roberto Beto’s first season in Spanish football could hardly have gone better, with the experienced defender playing a crucial role as Recreativo defied the odds to secure an 8th place finish in La Liga.

Having gained promotion the previous season, many tipped Spain’s oldest club for an instant return to the Second Division. However, having joined on loan from Bordeaux, Beto made 25 appearances as Recre dropped no lower than 11th place all season, ultimately missing out on 7th place in the closing weeks of the campaign.

On a personal level, Beto’s most notable match of the season was his side’s 4-3 defeat at Racing, as he was sent off after scoring in the first half, while he also scored the winner against Real Sociedad in February.

The impressive nature of Beto’s first year at the Nuevo Colombino resulted in Recre making Beto’s loan move into a permanent transfer, with his performances also encouraging the club to invest further in the Portuguese market with the acquisitions of Carlos Martins and Silvestre Varela.


Jose Nunes – Mallorca

Already established as one of Mallorca’s most consistent performers, Jose Nunes added goalscoring to his repertoire in the 2006/07 season. The team spent most of the season drifting between 10th and 15th place in La Liga, but safely avoided relegation after a strong run in the closing months.

For his part, Nunes scored four league goals, all of which came in an 11-game spell between January and April and all came in victories for his team. After getting the winner in Mallorca’s shock 2-1 win over Sevilla, Nunes scored in home games against Recreativo and Zaragoza as his side won by the same scoreline.

A goal in his side’s 2-0 victory over Getafe was another highlight during a season in which Nunes started 36 of the team’s 38 league games in the heart of the Mallorca defence.


Duda – Sevilla

It was always going to prove difficult for Portuguese winger Duda to stake a place in the first team at Uefa Cup holders Sevilla, following his summer 2006 move from relegated Malaga.

Sevilla manager Juande Ramos had worked with the left-footed wide man while both were at Malaga, and signed Duda to provide squad depth as the Andalucian club looked to fight Barcelona and Real Madrid for the Spanish title.

Duda’s role was very much that of a backup player at all stages during the campaign, starting just one league game all term, with a further ten appearances coming off the substitutes bench as Sevillla led for much of the first half of the season, but narrowly lost out on the title and finished 3rd.

The team successfully defended their Uefa Cup, although Duda, who made five appearances during the run, did not play in the final. The 27-year-old was also given a good run in the Copa Del Rey, as Sevilla beat Getafe 1-0 in the final to complete a remarkable cup double.


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