Casa Pia enter the 2026/27 Primeira Liga campaign in a state of crisis, and the early returns offer little encouragement. Seven matches, one point, and a place at the bottom of the table tell the story of a squad that has been comprehensively outclassed in the opening weeks. Filipe Coelho, the coach tasked with engineering survival, has seen his side score zero goals in five of their opening fixtures, while conceding at a rate of 2.2 goals per game. This is the definitive guide to the current Casa Pia squad.
Technical Leadership & Coaching Profile
Manager: Filipe Coelho
Tactical Philosophy: Coelho has attempted to implement a structured, possession-oriented approach, deploying a 4-2-3-1 system in the opening weeks. The early results suggest a fundamental disconnect between intention and execution. Casa Pia have failed to score in five of their seven league matches, and their defensive record is the worst in the division. Coelho’s challenge is not merely tactical but psychological: restoring belief in a squad that has been beaten comprehensively by Marítimo, Benfica, and Moreirense in the opening weeks. The margin between respectability and humiliation is thin, and Casa Pia are on the wrong side of it.
Preferred Formations: 4-2-3-1, with the capacity to shift to a 4-3-3 depending on opponent and game state.
Strategic Transfer Activity
Casa Pia’s summer was defined by necessity and the exploitation of loan markets. The club secured nine new arrivals, the vast majority on loan deals, as they sought to rebuild a squad lacking top-flight quality. The strategy reflects the club’s financial reality: Casa Pia operate with one of the smallest budgets in the Primeira Liga, and their recruitment has prioritised volume over proven quality.
Table A: Summer Major Transfer Influx
| Player | Position | Former Club | Fee Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alassana Jatta | Striker | Notts County | Free |
| Henrique Araújo | Striker | Benfica | Loan |
| João Rêgo | Winger | Benfica | Loan |
| Selvi Clua | Midfielder | Almería | Loan |
| Aymen Zouin | Winger | Parma | Loan |
| Benjamin Pauwels | Winger | Leganés | Loan |
| André Gomes | Goalkeeper | Benfica | Free |
| Rochinha | Winger | Famalicão | Free |
| Gabi Pereira | Midfielder | Felgueiras | Free |
Alassana Jatta arrives from Notts County, where he scored 44 goals in 89 appearances across two and a half seasons. The Gambian striker signed a four-year contract until 2030 and represents the club’s most significant attacking investment. Henrique Araújo and João Rêgo both arrive on loan from Benfica, where they developed under Coelho at Seixal. Selvi Clua joined on loan from Almería after a half-season at Mirandés, providing defensive midfield depth. Aymen Zouin, a 19-year-old Moroccan winger, arrived from Parma on loan after developing in Inter Milan’s academy. Benjamin Pauwels joined on loan from Leganés with an option to buy.
The First-Team Roster
Goalkeepers
André Gomes (#31): The 21-year-old goalkeeper arrived from Benfica and has started four league matches, conceding eleven goals. His adaptation to Primeira Liga football has been brutal, but the defensive chaos in front of him offers little protection. He was forced off with an injury in the match against Vitória SC.
Daniel Azevedo (#): The 28-year-old goalkeeper provides experienced cover. He has made three appearances this season, conceding seven goals.
Ivan Mandic (#95): The Croatian goalkeeper provides third-choice depth.
Ricardo Batista (#): The veteran goalkeeper offers further cover.
Defenders
João Goulart (#4): The 26-year-old Portuguese defender is a reliable presence at right-back or centre-back. His versatility has been tested in a defence that has been repeatedly exposed.
Kaique Rocha (#): The 25-year-old Brazilian centre-back provides physical presence and aerial ability. His height (193cm) is an asset in both boxes, but the defensive structure around him has been fragile.
David Sousa (#43): The 25-year-old centre-back partners Rocha in the heart of defence. His composure on the ball is undermined by the speed at which opponents have carved through Casa Pia’s lines.
José Fonte (#): The 42-year-old veteran brings vast experience from Southampton, Lille, and Braga. His leadership is invaluable in a dressing room lacking top-flight know-how, but his age limits his minutes.
Khaly (#3): The 22-year-old defender provides athleticism and recovery pace. He has been deployed as a substitute in the opening weeks.
Abdu Conté (#): The 28-year-old left-back offers attacking thrust and defensive solidity.
André Geraldes (#18): The 35-year-old right-back provides experience and tactical discipline. He has started four league matches, his consistency a rare positive.
Midfielders
Kevin Prieto (#19): The 23-year-old midfielder has featured prominently in the opening weeks, his energy and ball-winning ability central to Coelho’s pressing structure.
Lawrence Ofori (#80): The 28-year-old Ghanaian midfielder provides physical presence and duel-winning ability.
Sebastián Pérez (#24): The 33-year-old Colombian brings La Liga and Champions League experience from his time at Boca Juniors and Sporting. His composure in possession is a valuable asset, though he lacks the mobility to cover ground in a struggling side.
Selvi Clua (#16): The 21-year-old defensive midfielder joined on loan from Almería. His positioning and interception ability provide the screen that Casa Pia’s defence desperately needs.
Rafael Brito (#): The 24-year-old midfielder offers energy and tactical discipline.
Gabi Pereira (#8): The 26-year-old midfielder arrived from Felgueiras and provides depth in central areas.
JP (#98): The 21-year-old midfielder has featured in the opening weeks, providing youthful energy.
Forwards
Alassana Jatta (#20): The 27-year-old Gambian striker is the focal point of Casa Pia’s attack. His 44 goals in 89 games for Notts County demonstrate his finishing ability, but he has yet to open his account in the Primeira Liga. The service around him has been desperately poor.
Henrique Araújo (#9): The 24-year-old striker arrived on loan from Benfica, where he developed under Coelho. His movement and finishing offer a different profile to Jatta, but he has also struggled for service.
João Rêgo (#10): The 21-year-old winger joined on loan from Benfica, his first experience away from the Estádio da Luz. His pace and directness make him the most likely source of creativity, but he has been isolated in a struggling attacking unit.
Rochinha (#10): The 31-year-old winger provides experience and technical quality on the left flank.
Aymen Zouin (#21): The 19-year-old Moroccan winger arrived from Parma, having developed in Inter Milan’s academy. His pace and dribbling offer unpredictability, but his adaptation to senior football is ongoing.
Benjamin Pauwels (#): The 21-year-old Belgian winger joined on loan from Leganés. His pace and directness provide a different dimension, though he has yet to make a significant impact.
Korede Osundina (#): The 22-year-old winger offers athleticism and work rate.
Leadership Group & Squad Regulations
Club Captain: The captaincy structure is anchored by José Fonte, whose 42 years and vast experience provide a reference point for a young squad. André Geraldes and Sebastián Pérez offer additional leadership voices.
Homegrown Quota Check: Casa Pia’s squad includes several Portuguese nationals and academy graduates, ensuring compliance with Primeira Liga registration requirements. The club’s U19 side includes promising talents such as Tidjane Bamba and Rúben Semedo, both of whom have trained with the first team. This integration reflects a deliberate policy of bridging the gap between youth and senior football.
Financial & Contractual Health
Financial Balance Overview: Casa Pia’s summer recruitment was dominated by loan deals, a direct consequence of financial constraints. The permanent signings of Jatta, Gomes, and Rochinha were secured on free transfers, while Araújo, Rêgo, Clua, Zouin, and Pauwels all arrived on temporary arrangements. The club’s ability to strengthen is limited, and survival will depend on the loan contingent performing above expectations.
Contract Red Alerts: The loan agreements for Araújo, Rêgo, Clua, Zouin, and Pauwels all expire at the end of the season, meaning Casa Pia will need to rebuild again if they survive. Jatta’s four-year contract until 2030 provides long-term security, but only if the club remains in the top flight.
The Academy Pipeline & Loan Tracker
Breakout Talents to Watch: Tidjane Bamba, an 18-year-old Guinean left-back, and Rúben Semedo, an 18-year-old winger, have both trained with the first team. Their integration reflects Casa Pia’s commitment to internal development as a sustainable model.
Notable Out on Loan: Specific loan departures are not detailed in available information.
Set-Piece Specialists & FPL Cheat Sheet
Penalties: Alassana Jatta (First Choice) / Henrique Araújo (Second Choice).
Direct Free-Kicks: João Rêgo / Rochinha.
Corners & Crosses: João Rêgo and Rochinha are the primary deliverers, with André Geraldes offering an alternative from the right flank.
For Fantasy Primeira Liga managers, Casa Pia assets carry significant risk given the club’s failure to score in five of seven matches. Jatta’s goalscoring record at Notts County suggests he has the quality, but the service around him has been inadequate. André Gomes’ save volume, behind the division’s leakiest defence, could yield points in systems that reward goalkeeping interventions, but the negative goal difference makes clean sheets unlikely.
Final Outlook: Navigating the Tactical Horizon
Casa Pia enter October in a relegation crisis. Seven matches, one point, zero goals scored in five of those fixtures, and a goal difference of minus thirteen represent the worst possible start for a club with limited resources. The defensive frailties exposed in the opening weeks are systemic rather than individual, and Coelho must find a way to make his side competitive before the season slips away entirely.
The attacking burden rests on Jatta and Araújo, two strikers with proven goalscoring records at lower levels but no Primeira Liga pedigree. João Rêgo’s creativity is the most likely source of inspiration, but the Benfica loanee has been isolated in a struggling unit. The midfield lacks the mobility and physicality to compete against established top-flight opponents, and the defence, despite the experience of Fonte and Pérez, has been repeatedly carved open.
The fixture list offers no immediate respite. Casa Pia face a challenging autumn, and the margin between survival and relegation is already fine. If Coelho can stabilise the defence, if Jatta finds his scoring touch, and if the loan contingent adapts quickly to the demands of the Primeira Liga, Casa Pia have a chance. But the early evidence suggests a long, difficult season lies ahead. The club’s top-flight status, secured through last season’s survival, is already hanging by a thread.
