The weight of history and the current reality
Boavista arrived this season already weakened in financial and sporting terms. Unlike in 2000, when they had a cohesive, organised team with a strong identity under Jaime Pacheco, the club entered the 2024/2025 campaign without a solid foundation and with a weakened sporting structure.
The weaknesses in the club's management and the role of investor Gerard Lopez are central to understanding the current situation. The club has faced 16 active FIFA proceedings, resulting in players being barred from registration.
This situation has been exacerbated by simultaneous injuries to the two main goalkeepers, forcing the club to resort to emergency solutions. There were also reports of unpaid wages for players and staff, leading to protests and internal instability, which immediately threatened the start of the current season.
Members expressed concerns about the lack of clarity in the board's decisions, especially in relation to financial management and the influence of the main investor, and there was opposition between the club's board and the SAD (the Public Limited Sports Company that manages the club's finances), with mutual criticism regarding management and strategic priorities.
In the week of preparation for the game against Sporting, the Bessa Stadium was left without electricity due to debts to the supplier on the part of the club, resolved by the SAD.
The role of Gerard Lopez
Gerard Lopez, a Luxembourg businessman, became the majority shareholder in Boavista's SAD, bringing promises of investment and stability with a capital injection of three million euros.
However, his involvement has been controversial. Lopez has been involved in sports projects that have faced financial difficulties, such as Lille, Mouscron or the best known of all: Bordeaux, a former French champion that has fallen to the fourth tier and is in danger of closing its doors. This has raised concerns about his management at Boavista.
His presence has been associated with significant strategic decisions, including changes in the leadership of the SAD and financial restructuring plans. Some members question the effectiveness of his investment, pointing to the club's continuing financial and operational problems.
A Scottish saviour
Cristiano Bacci started the season as head coach, but unsatisfactory results led to his departure. Jorge Couto took over on an interim basis, before Lito Vidigal arrived in February 2025, bringing experience and a pragmatic approach in an attempt to avoid relegation.
He was followed by Stuart Baxter, a 71-year-old Scottish coach who in three games achieved two victories against two direct opponents in the fight against relegation, Farense (0-1) and AFS (1-2), losing only against Sporting (0-5).
The Scottish coach has brought a new tactical perspective and discipline to the squad, contributing to an improvement in defence and the return of the fans' hope for another miracle.
The appointment of Baxter brought a breath of fresh air but also exposed the club's desperation. At the age of 71 the British coach, with vast international experience, was a risky but thoughtful gamble, an attempt to bring tactical order and some pragmatism to a team that had been in freefall.
Unlikely reinforcements
Perhaps the most unusual moment of the season was the recruitment of several free agents in February, some of whom hadn't played in an official competition for months.
This measure, unprecedented in Portugal on this scale, was criticised by many, but it turned out to be a desperate - and even ingenious - attempt to revitalise a squad plagued by injuries and a lack of quality in key areas, following the lifting of the player registration bans imposed by FIFA.
Some of these players, despite their lack of pace, showed commitment and were surprisingly keen to seize the opportunity, reflecting the spirit of survival that Boavista has embodied throughout this season.
Czech goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik, former PSG star Layvin Kurzawa, Sierra Leone international right-back Osman Kakay, Cameroonian centre-back Sidoine Fogning, Vitalii Lystsov, Canadian centre-back Steven Vitoria, former Chelsea midfielder Marco van Ginkel, Senegalese winger Moussa Kone and American winger Gboly Ariyibi revolutionised the squad in a last-ditch attempt to avoid relegation.
Another final-day fight for survival
Just like last season, Boavista go into the final few days with their stay in the top flight in jeopardy, but with a real chance of saving themselves.
The parallel with the 'miracle' of the last minute in 2023/24 is once again gaining momentum, with fans hoping for another dramatic but happy outcome, especially after last Monday's 32nd-round win against AFS.
With just two matches to play, Boavista are once again on the brink. Just like in 2023/2024, everything can be decided in the final minutes - and this season, the ultimate test is looming: on the 33rd and penultimate matchday, Boavista host FC Porto, a historic rival of the same city.
In a derby full of symbolism, they are playing not just for points but for their survival and the future of a club that, despite being weakened, continues to fight to keep its identity alive in Portuguese football.
The 2024/2025 season has been another test of Boavista's resilience - a club that was once champions struggling to survive. If they manage to stay up, it will be a victory for character and resilience. If not, the club will have to profoundly rethink its future, while keeping alive the hope that the spirit of 2000 might one day inspire a more solid and ambitious reconstruction.