Transfer Market: Portuguese Cup-winning manager set to depart

Luís Tralhão is set to leave his role as Torreense head coach, A BOLA can reveal.

Despite yesterday's 1-0 victory over Amarante to close out matchday eight of the Segunda Liga, the club's board is unhappy with the team's slow start to the campaign. The Torres Vedras outfit currently sit 13th in the standings, having collected just nine points from a possible 24, with a record of two wins, three draws, and three defeats.

Appointed in January after an impressive spell with the under-23s—guiding them to the Liga Next Gen title in 2024/25—Luís Tralhão (who succeeded Vítor Martins) guided Torreense to historic heights with an unprecedented Portuguese Cup triumph, beating Sporting CP 2-1 after extra time. Last season, Torreense also fought for top-flight promotion until the very end, eventually falling in the play-offs against Casa Pia (0-0 and 0-2).

That cup triumph secured direct entry into this season's UEFA Europa League league phase, where Torreense have registered one win (2-1 against Lillestrom) and two defeats (1-2 against Sunderland and 1-4 against Ferencvaros). Club chiefs decided the time had come for a managerial change, and A BOLA understands an agreement to terminate Tralhão's contract was reached last night following the match against Amarante.

Attention now turns to hiring a new manager, and A BOLA can reveal that João Nuno has emerged as the frontrunner for the post. The 41-year-old coach spent last season at Estrela da Amadora, having moved there following an impressive stint at Belenenses. Prior to that, he took charge of 1º Dezembro, Fabril, and Cova da Piedade B. Also under consideration by the Torreense board is 40-year-old João Gião, who is currently available after leaving Nacional earlier this season. Gião's managerial CV also includes a spell with Sporting CP's B team.