Pedro Russiano’s coaching journey at Penafiel has been anything but smooth sailing. The team has managed to grab only a single point from five matches in the Liga Portugal Meu Super. To make matters worse, they suffered an early exit from the Portuguese Cup, crashing out in their very first match against Portimonense SC, a team from the Campeonato de Portugal.
Given such a bumpy start, one might expect changes. Yet, despite all the early trouble, talk of Russiano leaving Penafiel isn’t even on the table. The newspaper Record confirmed this surprising news after digging into the situation.
The club’s board worked hard last summer to bring the 40-year-old coach over from Lusitano de Évora. They continue to stand by him, believing he is still the right man to lead their project. They see his place at the club as secure for the long haul.
It’s worth remembering that Russiano didn’t arrive at Penafiel as an unknown quantity. He joined the team as a champion, having previously won the Campeonato de Portugal title.