Marítimo president Gomes: 8 points within our expectation

Marítimo president Carlos André Gomes said 8 points from the opening rounds of the 1ª Liga is "within our expectation", as the club marked its 116th anniversary on Sunday.

The celebrations ran from the historic headquarters on Almirante Reis, in Funchal, to the club's complex at Santo António. A plaque was unveiled there in honour of the 1926 Campeões de Portugal. Gomes attended with coach Mitchell van der Gaag and players Romain Correia, the captain, Guzzo, Paulo Henrique and Rodrigo Andrade.

Van der Gaag's side picked up a point in Barcelos to reach 8. Gomes said: "It is within what was our expectation and what was planned. Obviously we would like to have more points, but we know what we want, which is to stay up and to do it in a calm way."

Correia, a defender who joined in February 2026 and has scored twice for the club, was among the players present.

Gomes described the club's outlook as pragmatic. "We have one more year of mandate and it is important that it is carried out with a lot of responsibility," he said. "We made a very strong investment to bring the club back to the 1ª Liga and it takes 3 or 4 years for Marítimo to stabilise financially. It is very important to stay in the 1ª Liga, and that is why every step this board takes has to be taken very carefully and cautiously."

He did not expand on a possible second term. "That is not important," Gomes said. "What I want is to leave Marítimo structured, stable and financially viable for the future. That is what we are working on."

On the anniversary itself, he said he had no doubts: "It is a great joy to be at this institution, to celebrate its 116 years."

That reading rests on Gomes's own timeline of 3 or 4 years for the club's finances to settle.