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The 2020–21 Primeira Liga (also known as Liga NOS for sponsorship reasons) was the 87th season of the
Primeira Liga The Primeira Liga (), also known as Liga Portugal Betclic for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Portugal and the highest level of the Portuguese football league system. Organised and supervised by the Liga ...
, the top professional league for Portuguese
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
clubs. The season started later than usual, on 18 September 2020, due to the delayed end of the previous season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it concluded on 19 May 2021. This was the fourth Primeira Liga season to use video assistant referee (VAR). As was the case at the end of the previous season, there were limited or no attendance in the stadiums besides each team's staff and personnel.
Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
were the defending champions.
Nacional Nacional, the Portuguese and Spanish word for "national", may refer to: Airlines * Nacional Transportes Aéreos, a Brazilian airline defunct in 2002 * Transportes Aéreos Nacional, a Brazilian airline defunct in 1961 Bank * Banco Nacional, a ...
and Farense were promoted from the second-tier
2019–20 LigaPro The 2019–20 LigaPro was the 30th season of Portuguese Association football, football's second-tier league, and the sixth season under the current LigaPro title. A total of 18 teams competed in this division, including reserve team, reserve sides ...
by decision of the
Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional The Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional (English: Portuguese Professional Football League), also known by its acronym LPFP, is a governing body that manages professional football club competitions in Portugal. It was founded in 1978 as Liga Po ...
, after the suspension of the 2019–20 LigaPro due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal The COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal was a part of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). On 2 March 2020, the virus was confirmed to have reached the country when it was re ...
. They replaced
Desportivo das Aves Clube Desportivo das Aves (), commonly known as Desportivo das Aves, or simply as Aves, was a Portuguese football club based in Vila das Aves, Santo Tirso. The club was founded on 12 November 1930 and plays at the Estádio do Clube Desportivo ...
and
Vitória de Setúbal Vitoria or Vitória may refer to: People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Sofia Vitória (bor ...
, who were relegated to the
2020–21 Campeonato de Portugal The 2020–21 Campeonato de Portugal was the eighth season of Portuguese football's renovated third-tier league, since the merging of the Segunda Divisão and Terceira Divisão in 2013, and the sixth season under the current Campeonato de Portug ...
. On 11 May 2021,
Sporting CP Sporting Clube de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP or simply Sporting (particularly within Portugal), or as Sporting Lisbon in other countries,
secured a 19th title after a 1–0 home win against Boavista, their first title since the 2001–02 season. It was also the first title since that season not being won by either Benfica or
Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
. Since Portugal ascended from seventh to sixth place in the
UEFA association coefficient rankings In European football, the UEFA coefficients are statistics based in weighted arithmetic means used for ranking and seeding teams in club and international competitions. Introduced in 1979 for men's football tournaments (country rankings only), ...
at the end of 2019–20 season, the three best-ranked teams could qualify for the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
(the champions and runners-up entered directly into the group stage, and the third placed team entered the third qualifying round). The fourth and fifth-placed teams would qualified respectively to the
UEFA Europa Conference League The UEFA Conference League (UECL), usually known simply as the Conference League, is an annual association football, football competition organised since 2021 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European foot ...
play-off and third qualifying rounds.


Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic

Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal The COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal was a part of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). On 2 March 2020, the virus was confirmed to have reached the country when it was re ...
, since March 2020, in contrast with various
European leagues European Leagues (EL) is a sports organisation within association football created for growth of professional football in Europe. Its members are the professional football leagues organisations of 31 countries: Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bu ...
, the Primeira Liga began playing matches
behind closed doors Behind Closed Doors may refer to: Film, television and radio Film * ''Behind Closed Doors'' (1929 film), an early talkie starring Virginia Valli * Behind Closed Doors (1961 film), ''Behind Closed Doors'' (1961 film), an Italian comedy film by Dino ...
. On 13 September, Sporting confirmed that three players had tested positive for
coronavirus Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the comm ...
, leading their pre-season match against
Napoli Naples ( ; ; ) is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its province-level municipality is the thir ...
to be cancelled due to the orders of the Portuguese Ministry of Health. The following day, Sporting confirmed that four players and a member of their staff had tested positive for coronavirus. Meanwhile,
Gil Vicente Gil Vicente (; c. 1465c. 1536), called the Trobadour, was a Portuguese playwright and poet who acted in and directed his own plays. Considered the chief dramatist of Portugal he is sometimes called the "Portuguese Plautus," often refe ...
confirmed that fifteen players had tested positive for coronavirus, leading also their pre-season match against
Vitória de Guimarães Vitoria or Vitória may refer to: People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Sofia Vitória (bor ...
to be cancelled. Three days later, Sporting confirmed that their manager
Ruben Amorim Ruben Filipe Marques Amorim (; born 27 January 1985) is a Portuguese Professional association football, professional football Manager (association football), manager, a former player and the current manager of Premier League club Manchester Unit ...
and another player tested positive for coronavirus, with both going into self-isolation. On 17 September, it was announced that the Gil Vicente and Sporting fixture on matchday 1 would be postponed, following direct orders from the Portuguese Ministry of Health, after it was confirmed that Gil Vicente had four more positive cases of coronavirus. On 3 October, Santa Clara faced
Gil Vicente Gil Vicente (; c. 1465c. 1536), called the Trobadour, was a Portuguese playwright and poet who acted in and directed his own plays. Considered the chief dramatist of Portugal he is sometimes called the "Portuguese Plautus," often refe ...
on matchday 3 at the Estádio de São Miguel, in
Ponta Delgada Ponta Delgada (; ) is the largest municipality (''concelho'') and executive capital of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in Portugal. It is located on São Miguel Island, the largest and most populous in the archipelago. As of 2021, it has 67,2 ...
,
Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...
, in a match, which was the first one to allow spectators in Portugal, with the stadium being limited to 10% of its capacity (1,000 spectators). Ten days later, it was announced that
Paços de Ferreira Paços de Ferreira () is a city in the Porto District, in the north of Portugal. The population of the city in 2011 was 7491, while its municipality had 56,340 inhabitants, in an area of 70.99 km². Sometimes referred to as the ''Capital do ...
's manager
Pepa Performance Evaluation Process Algebra (PEPA) is a stochastic process algebra designed for modelling computer and communication systems introduced by Jane Hillston in the 1990s. The language extends classical process algebras such as Milner's ...
had tested positive for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
, leading him and his staff being placed in quarantine as a preventive measure, forcing him to miss Paços de Ferreira's match against Santa Clara on October 18 at matchday 4. On matchday 5, played between 23 and 26 October, there were three matches in which spectatores were allowed:
Tondela Tondela () is a concelho, municipality in the Centro, Portugal, central Portugal, Portuguese subregion of Dão-Lafões. The population in 2011 was 28,946, in an area of 371.22 km2. History Local writer and intellectual Amadeu Ferraz de Carv ...
against
Portimonense Portimonense Sporting Clube is a Portuguese sports club based in Portimão. Founded on 14 August 1914, it is most notable for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Liga Portugal 2, the second division of Portuguese football ...
at
Estádio João Cardoso Estádio João Cardoso is a football stadium in Tondela, Portugal, with a capacity for 5,000 spectators. It is the home stadium of C.D. Tondela, currently playing in the Portuguese Liga Portugal 2. The stadium, built in 2008, initially held a ca ...
, Santa Clara against Sporting at the Estádio de São Miguel (with spectators being allowed for the second consecutive match) and Farense against
Rio Ave Rio Ave Futebol Clube, commonly known as Rio Ave (), is a Portuguese professional football club based in Vila do Conde, that competes in the Primeira Liga. The club is named after the Ave River, which flows through the town and into the Atlant ...
at
Estádio Algarve The Estádio Algarve (') is an association football stadium located between Faro and Loulé municipalities, in the Algarve region of Portugal. The stadium has a total capacity of 30,305 spectators and was purposely built for the UEFA Euro 2004 ...
, where Farense played their first three home matches, instead of their regular home stadium
Estádio de São Luís The Estádio de São Luís, also known as Santo Stadium, is a multi-use stadium located in Faro, Algarve, Portugal. It serves as the home stadium for Sporting Clube Farense, a football club based in Faro. The stadium was opened in 1923 and has a ...
, due to a turf change. Like the match against Gil Vicente, Santa Clara match was played with the stadium capacity limited to 10%, as the other two matches were limited to 15% (approximately 750 and 4,500 spectators in Estádio João Cardoso and Estádio Algarve, respectively). Santa Clara announced on February 20 that spectators will be allowed in Estádio de São Miguel, for the third time this season, in the match against Paços de Ferreira on matchday 21, played one week later on 27 February. This time, one third of the stadium's maximum capacity was allowed.


Teams

Eighteen teams competed in the league – the top sixteen teams from the previous season and two teams promoted from the
LigaPro The Liga Portugal 2 (), also known as Liga Portugal Meu Super for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division of the Portuguese football league system. At the end of each season, the two top-finishing teams are promoted to the top-tier ...
.
Nacional Nacional, the Portuguese and Spanish word for "national", may refer to: Airlines * Nacional Transportes Aéreos, a Brazilian airline defunct in 2002 * Transportes Aéreos Nacional, a Brazilian airline defunct in 1961 Bank * Banco Nacional, a ...
and Farense were promoted on 5 May 2020 by decision of the
Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional The Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional (English: Portuguese Professional Football League), also known by its acronym LPFP, is a governing body that manages professional football club competitions in Portugal. It was founded in 1978 as Liga Po ...
, after the suspension of the
2019–20 LigaPro The 2019–20 LigaPro was the 30th season of Portuguese Association football, football's second-tier league, and the sixth season under the current LigaPro title. A total of 18 teams competed in this division, including reserve team, reserve sides ...
due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal The COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal was a part of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). On 2 March 2020, the virus was confirmed to have reached the country when it was re ...
. This decision was made based on
UEFA The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; ; ) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach soccer, beach football in Europe and the List of transcontinental countries#A ...
's recommendations, focusing on sporting merit, as these teams were in first and second place of the LigaPro, respectively, at the time of cancellation. Nacional came back to the top division one season after being relegated, while Farense secured their return after an 18-year absence. They replaced
Desportivo das Aves Clube Desportivo das Aves (), commonly known as Desportivo das Aves, or simply as Aves, was a Portuguese football club based in Vila das Aves, Santo Tirso. The club was founded on 12 November 1930 and plays at the Estádio do Clube Desportivo ...
and
Vitória de Setúbal Vitoria or Vitória may refer to: People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Sofia Vitória (bor ...
, who were relegated after three and sixteen seasons in the top flight, respectively.


Stadia and locations


Personnel and sponsors


Managerial changes


League table


Relegation play-offs

The relegation play-offs took place on 26 and 30 May 2021. ''All times are
WEST West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...
(
UTC+1 +01:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +01:00. In ISO 8601, the associated time would be written as 2019-02-07T23:28:34+01:00. This time is used in: *Central European Time * West Africa Time * Western European Summer Time **Brit ...
).''
''Arouca won 5–0 on aggregate and were promoted to
2021–22 Primeira Liga The 2021–22 Liga Portugal (also known as Liga Portugal Bwin for sponsorship reasons) was the 88th season of the Primeira Liga, the top professional league for Portuguese association football Association football, more commonly known as f ...
; Rio Ave were relegated to
2021–22 Liga Portugal 2 The 2021–22 Liga Portugal 2, also known as Liga Portugal SABSEG for sponsorship reasons, was the 32nd season of Portuguese football's second-tier league, and the second season under the current Liga Portugal 2 title. A total of 18 teams were com ...
.''


Results


Positions by round

The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included to the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards.


Statistics


Top goalscorers


Hat-tricks

;Notes (H) – Home team
(A) – Away team


Top assists


Clean sheets


Discipline


Player

* Most yellow cards: 13 **
Nicolás Otamendi Nicolás Hernán Gonzalo Otamendi (born 12 February 1988) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a centre back, centre-back for Primeira Liga club S.L. Benfica, Benfica, which he Captain (association football) ...
(Benfica) **
Fábio Pacheco Fábio José Ferreira Pacheco (born 26 May 1988) is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Varzim. He made 182 Primeira Liga appearances for Paços de Ferreira, Vitória de Setúbal, Marítimo and Moreirense, and al ...
(Moreirense) * Most red cards: 2 **
Salvador Agra Salvador José Milhazes Agra (born 11 November 1991) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Primeira Liga club Boavista. In a journeyman career, he made over 300 Primeira Liga appearances for Olhanense, Braga, Acad ...
(Tondela) **
Chidozie Awaziem Chidozie Collins Awaziem (born 1 January 1997) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids. Club career Porto Born in Enugu, Awaziem joined FC Porto from Portugal in 2014, ...
(Boavista) **
David Carmo David Mota Veiga Teixeira do Carmo (; born 19 July 1999) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Nottingham Forest, and the Angola national team. He began his professional career at Braga, winning the Taça de Portug ...
(Braga) ** Júlio César (Nacional) ** Rafael Defendi (Farense) ** Fransérgio (Braga) **
Javi García Francisco Javier "Javi" García Fernández (; born 8 February 1987) is a Spanish former professional footballer. A defensive midfielder by nature, he could also appear as a central defender. He started his career with Real Madrid, but repr ...
(Boavista) **
Stanislav Kritsyuk Stanislav Vasilyevich Kritsyuk (; born 1 December 1990) is a Russian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. Club career He made his Russian Premier League debut for FC Krasn ...
(Belenenses) ** Ygor Nogueira (Gil Vicente)


Club

* Most yellow cards: 102 ** Marítimo * Most red cards: 10 ** Boavista


Awards


Monthly awards

For the 2020–21 season, there were seven monthly awards in the Primeira Liga: best player, goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, forward, manager and goal of the month.


Annual awards

Annual awards were announced on 8 July 2021.


Number of teams by district


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Primeira Liga, 2020-21 Primeira Liga seasons
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
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