"We knew what he was and continues to be in this house: a very important person, to whom we were already used to and who feels the club in a special way. We had a second father there. It was a shock for us when 'mister' Petit made the decision to want to leave. We tried to keep him with us, because we knew he was a great force in our locker room, he knows this house better than anyone and he is an excellent coach. In fact, the results are there for all to see", said the forward, in an interview with the Lusa agency.

Four wins and a draw gave Boavista the shared lead of the championship on the second, fourth and fifth rounds, but a cycle of eight games without winning - including five straight defeats - diluted the effect of the best 'axadrezado' start in the 21st century.

The defeat in the visit to Estrela da Amadora (3-1), in the 13th round, preceded the resignation of Petit, national champion as a player in Bessa, in 2000/01, who closed a second two-year spell at the club where he had made his debut as a coach, between 2012 and 2015.

"He followed his path and we understand his decision. Football is like that and, sometimes, you have to make decisions that, however much you don't want to, are the best at the moment. It would be hypocritical of me to say that Petit abandoned the boat. It's a complete lie. That matter was very well clarified between everyone. He told us that he was making that decision because it was the best for his personal life and to also see if anything would change. He was a true champion", explained Salvador Agra.

Ricardo Paiva was promoted from Boavista's under-19s to replace the current coach of the Brazilian Cuiabá, but the progressive fall in the standings would be inevitable for a squad short of options, prevented from registering new players and with wages in arrears.

"After a season with this whole story, this group has to be marked for these fans. It may not be in the way it happened on May 18, 2001 [the day the unprecedented national championship title was won], but, in a totally different scenario, this group should be valued for everything it has been through. If it were with another group or club, I think it would be very difficult to do what we did", he said.

The departure of winger Tiago Morais for Lille, from Paulo Fonseca, in January, at a time when he was the second most influential, with six goals, two behind Róbert Bozeník, aggravated the fans' protest, a reason given by Vítor Murta to resign from the SAD presidency in February, after the rout of Sporting de Braga in Bessa (0-4), in the 23rd round.

This vacancy was filled just over two months later by former Senegalese forward Fary Faye, who had represented Boavista as a forward in two phases (from 2003 to 2008 and between 2012 and 2015) and had nine years of management experience in that structure.

"He is an important person, also because he knows the house, has already been through this profession [of footballer] and knows the moments when he has to touch a player's heart. He is now in a different facet and we believe that he will do a spectacular job. Above all, and besides being president, Fary is our friend", said Salvador Agra.

During the change of cycle in SAD, Boavista changed coaches again, with Ricardo Paiva leaving after the defeat in Arouca (2-1), in the 29th round, giving way to Jorge Simão, who returned to Bessa five years after the initial passage (from 2017 to 2019) and obtained three draws in the five final matches, enough for a hard-fought maintenance in the elite.

"The resume speaks for itself. He has experience and already knew the house. It seems like it doesn't, it helps. He knew that we came from a long and very exhausting season and he intended to help us and give us strength. He himself says to the outside that he came with a suitcase full of enthusiasm. It's not that we didn't have that, but we wanted to enjoy the profession", he concluded.