Setúbal's winter of discontent

Unpaid wages
With players having protested that their wages have not been paid since the start of the season, and threatening to take strike action for the Benfica game, coach Luís Norton de Matos resigned in protest on Monday, leaving his assistant Hélio Sousa to take command.

Hélio appointed
A former Setúbal captain, Hélio said: "If they wanted me to play again, I would. I just want to help my club. I was not expecting to become head coach so soon. I thought I might be ready in four or five years. This moment is very important to me and I hope everybody will help me out."

Fourth place
Despite their financial problems - which, some of the club's board claim, have been resolved - Setúbal have found strength in adversity this season, surging up the table to fourth place, five points behind leaders FC Porto and a point above Benfica.

Players leaving
However, after RC Standard Liège announced they had signed Setúbal's Siramana Dembelé on Monday, four other players - José Miguel Fonte, Mamadu Diakité, Fabien and Oumar Tchomogo - have quit the club claiming their wages have gone unpaid, much to the surprise of chairman Chumbita Nunes.

In denial
"I am not aware of these resignations," he said. "All I can say is that the players will receive their unpaid wages before the match against Benfica. This is part of a finance project. Everyone knows bank deals take time. I know we have problems but we must all work together to solve them."

Threadbare squad
Hélio is thus likely to have just 19 players available for the visit of the champions. With a few reserves drafted in, the side with the Liga's strongest defence - just four goals conceded this term - may not be in such intimidating shape at the Estádio do Bonfim.

Koeman undeterred
Nonetheless, Benfica coach Ronald Koeman knows better than to see the result as a foregone conclusion and has made it clear that the Portuguese Cup holders are not about to roll over. "The Setúbal crisis is a financial one, not a footballing one, so we are expecting a hard game," said the Dutchman.

New elections
Meanwhile, Chumbita Nunes is undeterred by rumblings concerning his own future. "In last week's board meeting I called for new elections in January or February, and I will be a candidate," he said. "People talk about exciting new projects for the club. I'd like to see them come here and show us."

'Act of mercy'
The chairman also had scornful words for the outgoing coach, saying: "Norton de Matos told the players he would not leave but he walked away. The coach tried to manipulate the players and it was an act of mercy on our part to keep him in the job."

Coach furious
Norton de Matos, needless to say, was furious at such suggestions. "I cannot go on after such a statement," he said. "The chairman said he was doing me a favour by keeping me on and forgot all the hard work I've done at Vitória. I could not carry on under those circumstances."

Better position