Aves to decline to play their final Primeira Liga fixture of the season versus Portimonense
Already-relegated Aves are considering the extraordinary possibility of refusing to play their last match of the Primeira Liga season, which is due to take place on the 26th July against relegation-strugglers Portimonense.
Aves are set to play Benfica this Tuesday (21st July), a clash that is expected to go ahead as planned, but their fixture with Algarve club Portimonense is in serious doubt.
One of the reasons behind the decision may be due to the fact that Aves have seen several first-team players rescind their contracts with the club, due to overdue wages. There are therefore financial conerns at the club, while there is also the unlikely prospect that they may not even have sufficient players to participate in the match should more players choose to terminate their associations with the club before the campaign finishes.
Overall, seven players have already rescinded their contracts with the club, with centreback Jonathan Buatu the latest to do so by ending his loan from Rio Ave prematurely, and more are expected to follow.
French goalkeeper Quentin Beunardeau was one of the first players to unilaterally terminate his agreement with the club, while star forward Wellinton Junior, midfielder Estrela and the trio of Pedro Delgado, Yamga and Tshibola have also ended their association with Aves since the season resumed.
Should Aves fail to face Portimonense on the final day, it is expected that Portimonense will be awarded all three points - which will all but confirm their place in the Portuguese top flight next season - while Aves are expected to have all their points earned up to that point in the campaign deducted. In other words, they will finish the season with just 0 points.
There are also suggestions that their refusal to play the last match of the season will mean that all the points earned against Aves by each club this season will be removed, which would propel Braga up to 3rd in the league standings, above Sporting CP.
