Tondela. It’s fairly safe to assume that most folks outside of Portugal (and many within) are not too familiar with the town in the Viseu Municipality.

However, many people now know of its existence after a stunning Liga 2 season by the town’s local club, CD Tondela, who won promotion to the Liga NOS as champions this season.

PortuGOAL brings you the fairy-tale story of their remarkable achievement.

Meteoric Rise

Tondela’s rise to the top-flight has been pretty swift, to put it mildly. Just 10 years ago, the club won promotion from the Viseu District League (a regional Portuguese league - 5th in the pyramid) to the Terceira Divisão (4th tier) where they spent three seasons.

A further promotion to the Segunda Divisão (3rd tier) in 2009 saw success with consecutive 4th, 3rd and 2nd place finishes. Thus, another promotion was won, this time to Liga 2 in 2012.

And so the club’s top place finish last season has seen it join the top echelons of Portuguese football for the first time in its history. Only 7 losses in 46 games tells a story about this small town side, who finished just one point above União da Madeira (2nd), Chaves (3rd) and Covilhã (4th). Promotion was clinched on the final day of the season with a 1-1 draw at Freamunde, but in a nerve-jingling finale, the side did not win a single one of the their last five league games.

Looking at the goals for and against columns also makes for interesting reading. Tondela scored 67 goals during the league campaign but conceded 51. To put that into context, União (69-39), Chaves (68-45) and Covilhã (78-46) all had superior goal differences.

Added to that, the side won only three of its first 10 league games this season, resulting in Carlos Pinto relinquishing the coaching position in favour of Quim Machado in early October. But a superb run of form under the new coach, which saw Tondela go unbeaten between 23 November and 17 February, meant the first of three spells in top spot.

CD Tondela finished 10th and 9th in 2013/14 and 2012/13 respectively, and a top place finish represents a significant achievement. The town has just under 30,000 inhabitants and the club’s modern Estádio João Cardoso holds just 3,000 people. However, work is underway to expand the capacity for the club’s foray into the top flight.

Goals, Goals, Goals!

So where did it all go right for CD Tondela? Well, firstly they had a regular goal scorer in 27-year-old Tozé Marreco. Signed at the beginning of the season from Olhanense, Marreco managed an impressive return of 23 goals from 41+3 appearances. Tondela will be hoping that he can continue his rich vein of form and help them secure their place in the Liga NOS next season. Add to that, the 10 goals contributed by long-serving Argentinian striker, Piojo. At the club since 2008, the former Portimonense and Atlético Clube de Portugal man tended to play as a deeper striker, behind Marreco.

Goals have also been contributed by Nuno Santos who has occupied the left flank for most of the campaign. Although 34-years-old, the man signed from Paços de Ferreira last summer contributed a healthy 6 goals in 31 appearances for Tondela and will be looking for one final hurrah in the Liga NOS in 2015/16.

Next Season?

So what can we expect from the top-flight newcomers next season? Well, most surprising is the change in coach again. Quim Machado has left the club for Vitória Setúbal and he has been replaced with 49-year-old Vítor Paneira. The new man is actually the old man, for he actually coached the club between 2011-2014. Having won the Segunda Divisão title in his first season in charge, he then oversaw the 10th and 9th place finishes in the Liga de Honra. After a year away, he’s back and will make history in the club’s first Liga 1 season.

The club has also been busy on the playing side too. No fewer than 9 players have been moved on from the title-winning side, including 29-year-old captain, Márcio Sousa. The central midfielder had been captain for 4 of the last 5 seasons at Tondela but was used sparingly in the title-winning season, with 30-year-old Bruno Monteiro preferred in his place. Monteiro has subsequently signed a new deal at the club which will see him stay until 2017.

Also moved on are regular left-back, Raul Araújo (40 appearances) and ex-Portugal Under-20 centre-back, Vítor Alves (38 appearances). Loan signings, Carraça (22), a central midfielder from Boavista and 23-year-old winger, Renato Santos, from Rio Ave, have returned to their parent clubs after making 19 appearances and 18 appearances (3 goals) respectively.

It’s not all players leaving the club however. The highest profile signing so far is English goalkeeper, Matt Jones, who has joined on a free transfer from Belenenses. The former União stopper made 15 appearances last season from the Lisbon club and spent 3 seasons in all at the Restelo.

He will now stay with Tondela until January when he will return to the USA (where he played college football) to play in the MLS. He will provide sound competition for the number 1 jersey with regular custodian, Cláudio Ramos, who will be in his 5th season this coming campaign. The former Portugal Under-20 keeper made 35 appearances for the title-winning side of 2014/15 and has just signed a contract extension until 2017.

Re-signing for the club is centre-back, João Pica (29), who made 19 appearances last campaign, scoring 1 goal. The former Setúbal man will be expecting to take over from the released, Alves, at centre-back alongside the Brazilian, Deyvison. Pica’s contract extension is for one year.

Pre-Season Abroad

For the first time in the club’s history, games on foreign soil have been arranged. The club’s pre-season campaign will open in Luxembourg against FC RM Hamm Benfica at the Estádio do Cents on Sunday 12th July (15:00) and will also take in a trip to English League One side, Millwall, at the New Den on Saturday 1st August (14:00). The club will be hoping for good support from the local Portuguese communities in both countries (I will post ticket details on my blog at ffv24.wordpress.com as and when they are released by Millwall).

As with all newly promoted sides, Tondela will be looking to survive in the top flight and then grow. With a forward line who knows where the goal is, there will be every chance the club will beat the drop. However one has to assume there will be more work to be done in the transfer market before the season gets underway to improve strength in depth.

For more information on CD Tondela, visit their fantastic website at: www.cdtondela.pt.

By Paul Gellard