Vitinha: The Portuguese Midfield Maestro
From Bruno Fernandes to Bernardo Silva to João Palhinha, Portugal have produced a treasure trove of elite midfielders in recent years, and the latest one to emerge as a world-class footballer is Vítor ‘Vitinha’ Ferreira. At 24 years of age, he has established himself as one of the finest central midfielders on the continent, and he looks set to play a pivotal role for Paris Saint-Germain as they enter the post-Kylian Mbappé era under Luis Enrique.
Born in Santo Tirso, Portugal, Vitinha joined Porto’s academy in 2011 and quickly made his way through the youth ranks, winning the 2018/19 UEFA Youth League and making a total of eight first-team appearances in Porto’s 2019/20 league title. However, with opportunities hard to come by at the Dragão, Vitinha made the move to Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan, where he was unable to make an impact under Nuno Espírito Santo.
Alongside other Porto players like Diogo Costa, João Mário, and Fábio Vieira, Vitinha played a vital role in midfield as Portugal made it all the way to the 2021 U-21 Euros Final, only to lose to Germany. It wasn’t enough to convince Wolves to take up their €20 million purchase option, but it was enough to impress Porto manager Sérgio Conceição. Vitinha would consolidate his starting spot in midfield, winning the league’s Player of the Month and Midfielder of the Month awards for December 2021, January 2022 and March 2022.
Having led Porto to a domestic double and a league record 91 points, Vitinha’s performances in northern Portugal did not go unnoticed, with Paris Saint-Germain triggering his release clause of €41.5 million. It was a challenging debut campaign for him at the Parc de Princes, with Vitinha having a reported training ground bust-up between him and Lionel Messi, whilst Neymar reportedly complained after a 3-1 loss to Monaco that the squad had been significantly weakened by the arrival of players like Vitinha.
These episodes took a toll on him to the point where he lost his confidence and his starting spot, but he has been revitalized in his sophomore season in Paris. With Messi and Neymar packing their bags and manager Christophe Galtier parting ways, Vitinha has found a new lease on life under the tutelage of Luis Enrique. He was named Man of the Match in PSG’s 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund in Matchday One of the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League season, a sign of things to come.
Vitinha continued to build on that momentum and racked up 9 goals and 5 assists in 46 appearances for the French giants, including two goals against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. His performances saw him named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season and the UEFA Champions League Team of the Season, and it is little surprise that he was one of the first names on Portugal manager Roberto Martinez’s team sheet throughout the European Championships.
Vitinha’s greatest assets are his passing and his press resistance, enabling him to play deeper in midfield as the first receiver from the centre backs, whilst also thriving in a more attacking role. He is able to wriggle out of situations and escape the pressure of multiple opponents, and he has a good understanding of when to hold the ball or pass it under pressure and likes to find the players drifting into the half spaces with his passes.
Moreover, Vitinha is skilled at delivering pinpoint crosses and key passes, playing 0.27 through balls per 90 and ranking in the 91st percentile for progressive passes this season. A 6/8 hybrid, he has the skills to open space up for himself and his teammates, but he’s also an adept defender who ranks in the top 3 for tackles won. He registered 91 tackles + interceptions for PSG, second only to Manuel Ugarte amongst PSG’s midfielders.
A part of his game that he can improve is the maximization of touches. Sometimes, he takes too many touches to perform an action, especially in tournament game, whilst he can also be bypassed a bit easily at times in 1v1s. However, Vitinha makes up for this with his variety of strengths.
Vitinha is an excellent and powerful carrier and once he begins his runs, he is difficult to stop thanks to his impressive first touch and dribbling skills. He ranks in the 99th and 94th percentile for Carries and Carries into the Final Third respectively, aiding his ability to sustain and build attacks for his team in the final third.
Enrique could not resist lavishing praise on the Portuguese midfielder, stating, “He has become one of the best midfielders in the world. He is capable of playing in all positions: on the wing, as a central midfielder, as a number 6, and has the ability to get close to the opponent’s area and score goals. Vitinha is the perfect player for a coach like me. He doesn’t lose the ball, which is exactly what we want with our style of play. He can stay between the lines, make runs, score.”
According to the Spanish coach, it was Vitinha, not Mbappé, who was PSG’s best player of the season. “For me, Vitinha is the player of the season. If you add up his qualities as a footballer, he is the best in the team and yet all of the players are good, but he is exceptional.”
At 24 years of age, Vitinha is only just getting started, and he looks set to mark an era not just at the Parc de Princes, but with Roberto Martinez’s Portugal national team. Having already won two Ligue 1 titles, a Coupe de France and two Trophée des Champions with PSG, things are looking brighter than ever for the diminutive midfielder.
By: @princerequiem7
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / ANP / Getty Images